Every Rose Has Its Thorn
by The Lady Arturia
Summary: This is a story of a certain Rose. A Rose whose thorns were rivaled only by a Scorpion whose sharp fangs dripped faux venom. It is a story of the Rose and the Scorpion and the pain that they refused to shy away from. A story of bravery and love; of honour and beauty; and of two people who came to love each other despite the shackles of their families and society.
1. An Unexpected Trio

**A/n: **

**Before starting, I wanted to inform you about the ages I'm using for the Second Gen:**

**Victoire: 17 ****Dominique: 15 ****Louis: 13**

**Fred II: 12 ****Roxanne: 9**

**Molly II: 13 ****Lucy: 9**

**Rose: 11 ****Hugo: 9**

**James Sirius: 12 ****Albus Severus: 11 ****Lily Luna: 9**

**Scorpius Hyperion: 11**

**Teddy: 19**

**Updated every 5-6 days since I've finished 35 chapters already! Yay!**

**Hope you like it~**

**Love~**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, its characters or the canon plot line. All of it belongs to our most beloved J. K. Rowling. I only own this story and the OCs in it.**

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**Every Rose Has its Thorn**

This is a story of a certain Rose. A Rose whose thorns were rivaled only by a Scorpion whose sharp fangs dripped faux venom. It is a story of the Rose and the Scorpion and the pain that they refused to shy away from. A story of bravery and love; of honour and beauty; of how two people as different from one another as a thorny Rose and a poisonous Scorpion, can come to see that their differences were not quite as different as they thought they were.

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**Chapter 1**

**An Unexpected Trio**

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"Al! Wait up!"

Albus Severus Potter paused to look over his shoulder. He watched as his wheezing cousin came to a stop behind him, her wild, fiery hair tumbling over her face as she bent down to straighten her brand new robes.

Albus eyed her with mild amusement. "When did you change into your school robes?"

Rose Weasley looked up, her pale, freckled cheeks flaming red. She tugged on the sleeve of her robe uncomfortably. "Just now, after I got on."

Albus couldn't help snorting in laughter. Leave it to his cousin to change the minute they were on the School Train. Rose's face turned redder, if that were even possible.

"Hey, you two!" an overly familiar voice called from behind the two eleven year olds and they turned, both suppressing groans as they saw Albus's older brother stick his head out of a compartment and wave at them.

"We'll be there in a minute!" Albus called back, hurriedly grabbing Rose's hand and dragging her in the opposite direction.

"Hold on, Al, where are we going? James already found a compartment for us!"

"I am _not_ sitting with my brother on my first train journey to Hogwarts," Albus said indignantly, continuing to drag Rose away. They heard a loud 'Oi!' behind them, which belonged to Albus's older brother James Sirius Potter, but they continued to push forward, both looking left and right for an empty compartment.

Finally finding one that was empty, the duo let out sighs of relief and threw the door open, hurriedly pushing their trunks in and shutting the door behind them.

"Oof," Rose exclaimed, as she sat down—only to spring back up with a startled shriek, immediately followed by an enraged yell.

"Watch it, you blind bat!"

Albus instantly reacted to the insult, spinning around and yelling, "Who are you calling a blind bat—" only to stop abruptly, suddenly realising that the compartment hadn't been empty after all.

The two stared down wide-eyed at the rather slim, pale, petite boy sitting in front of them. He was straightening out his robes – Albus regarded him with a mental eye-roll - and pushing back his already slicked-back platinum hair, an angry red welt blooming on his nose where Rose had obviously collided with him.

Albus eyed the boy for a moment and then glanced at his cousin, fearing the worst.

Rose looked absolutely mortified. Her previously scarlet face was completely drained of colour; so much so, that the slight freckles on her nose were standing in stark contrast against her translucent skin.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! I thought the seat was empty and I sat on it and—oh my, this is horrible! I am terribly sorry, I really am!" Rose spoke extremely fast, the words gushing out of her mouth as her hands made apologetic gestures.

But the person on the receiving end of the apologies looked none too pleased.

In fact, he looked so furious, Albus had a sudden urge to tell him off simply for that fact.

"_Stop_ apologising. I got that you're sorry without you blubbering like the blithering idiot you are," the boy bit back venomously.

Both Rose and Albus stood there dumbfounded, absolutely taken-aback by the boy's rudeness. Suddenly forgetting the nervousness that had been threatening to overcome him since he got onto to Hogwarts Express, Albus glared at the boy, moving to stand over him.

"She said she was sorry, there's no need to be a git about it," Albus all but spat. The boy made a disgusted face and very slowly raised a hand to wipe it across his cheek and then rub it on Albus's robes.

The blood boiled in Albus's veins and his ears were ringing. When the boy stood, he didn't bother stepping back, causing their faces to be inches from each other's.

"Oh yeah," the blond drawled, raising his chin haughtily and looking down his nose at Albus, even though there was barely any difference in their height. "What are you going to do about it, then?"

And Albus shoved him, hard. The boy fell back onto the seat with a startled yell and hit his head. He blinked for a few seconds and Rose gasped.

Albus stepped back, suddenly realising what he had done, his eyes going round in horror.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean—" he started hurriedly, reaching out to the boy to help him stand up. But the other simply slapped his hand away and focused his metallic eyes on Albus, shooting him a withering glare. He made to stand up, but Rose was in between the two, her back to Albus.

"Please stop," she begged, unshed tears thick in her voice. "Please don't fight, I'm really sorry!" and by the end of the sentence her voice broke and she began to cry, her face turning a deep shade of crimson that clashed horribly with her reddish-brown hair.

Whatever the boy was going to say was dissolved in Rose's loud sobs and a look of panic crossed his face as the sound escalated. Albus felt just as horrified as the boy looked and tried to pacify his cousin, his eyes frantically darting to the door, hoping nobody had heard the noise.

But just as luck would have it, the door slid open and James stepped into the small space. His eyes widened at the sight of Rose crying, then flickered to Albus and finally stopped at the blond boy in the seat. He immediately began to move forwards, a furious expression on his face.

Then a lot of things happened simultaneously, creating complete havoc in the narrow compartment.

A pair of hands grabbed James from behind, just in time; Albus had let out a startled yell at the look on his brother's face; causing Rose to stop crying and look up; causing her to bang her head into the boy's, who had suddenly gotten to his feet when he sensed he was in danger; causing the two of them to yell in pain at their heads having collided; causing several more shouts from an extremely panicky Albus and a still furious James; causing several doors to open and for people to stick their heads out curiously at the all the racket.

"You little prat! What'd you do to her—"

"James, _will_ you calm down—"

"Wait, it was my fault—"

"That's right, it was all this idiot girl's fault—"

"_Who are you calling an idiot you little—"_

"_James!"_

"What in Merlin's name do you think you lot are doing, screaming your heads off!"

The ruckus was immediately replaced by silence as all heads swiveled around to land on an extremely harassed looking older girl.

James' face immediately split into a boisterous grin. "Why, if it isn't the beautiful Head Girl, our dear cousin Victoire—"

"Yes, that's _quite_ enough, James," Victoire Weasley snapped as she folded her arms and looked around sternly at the bunch of them.

James finally managed to unhand himself, looking back at his red-faced cousin. Fred Weasley grinned back at him and the two exchanged high fives, much to the older girl's chagrin.

"Really!" she huffed, pushing the two of them down the corridor and back to their original compartment.

Albus sighed unconsciously and Victoire shot him a scathing look, making him gulp.

"I did _not_ expect _you_ of all people to follow in your brother's footsteps, Al," she said in a mildly disappointed voice, turning her head sharply, causing her long blonde hair to flip onto her back.

Albus shrank back into the compartment and shut the door quietly behind him, wincing when it snapped shut.

He sat down next to a trembling Rose, who had now simmered down to softly sniffing into her white handkerchief, and then promptly turned to glare at the person sitting opposite him—who returned the glare back in the exact same way, grey eyes dancing with repressed anger.

Rose must have noticed the electricity crackling between them, because she immediately sat forward in her seat, and when she spoke, her voice was shrill and extremely high-pitched. The two boys winced and she blushed and began again, "I'm sorry for what happened, my cousins can be rather… feisty at times."

The boy simply shifted his glare from Albus to Rose, causing her to shrink back into her seat. She continued anyway, trying not to let his steely look faze her.

"Well, I suppose it's a bit late, but I'm Rose! Rose Weasley," she said brightly, smiling at the boy like he hadn't just abused her.

When he didn't reply, she shifted her bright smile to Albus, who cringed and immediately muttered, "I'm Potter."

The boy's eyes seemed to widen slightly at that and he looked between the two as though seeing them for the first time. Then he suddenly sighed and flumped back in his seat, as though thoroughly exhausted from the day's happenings.

Albus and Rose shared identical looks of confusion, before Rose exclaimed and pointed at the boy, eyes going wide with realisation.

"You're that boy!" she said, as though that suddenly made the whole situation clear.

He simply frowned at her, his slightly pointy face scrunching up in obvious dislike. But Rose had already turned to Albus, shaking his hands excitedly. "He's the boy we saw on the platform! You know, the one dad pointed out to us!"

She was speaking as though the one they were talking about wasn't sitting in the compartment and Albus could clearly feel the death glare directed their way. He frowned at his cousin, choosing to ignore the glare, but having absolutely no idea what the girl was going on about.

Seeing that Albus wasn't catching on nearly as fast as Rose expected him to, she tutted impatiently and began bouncing on the spot, her wild curls bouncing with her.

"You know, dad was telling me to beat him in all the—" she suddenly stopped and glanced at the boy, as though finally realising he was still there, and bent closer to Albus, speaking in a hurried whisper, "It's him.. the Malfoy boy!"

"I am _not_ the 'Malfoy boy'!"

The duo jumped at the sudden outburst and turned to look at the blond, surprised that he had spoken. The boy, of course, seemed to have realised his mistake but seeing that he had already started, he cleared his throat and continued.

"I'm Malfoy," he started haughtily, gaining looks of 'we know, we just said that', from both Albus and Rose. His cheeks tinged pink and he continued, "Scorpius Malfoy."

Albus turned to sit facing Scorpius and leaned against his seat, staring at the boy. After a moment, he suddenly questioned loudly, "What kind of a ridiculous name is that?"

It seemed like Scorpius had exploded; he made an enraged sound, rising to his feet and glaring down at Albus angrily. But this time, Albus only looked up, curious as to why the boy had reacted so violently.

He suddenly grinned, throwing Scorpius off and the blond teetered, unsure of what he was supposed to do with the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"I'm Albus," Albus declared happily, grinning up at Scorpius with a look of achievement.

Scorpius eyed Albus wearily, as though wondering exactly how mental he was, until his eyebrows shot up, realisation finally dawning on him. He slowly sat back, a smirk tugging at his mouth, as he mimicked Albus's posture.

Rose, on the other hand, looked thoroughly confused as to what was transpiring between the two boys and glanced from one to another, unsure of what to say.

"What's the rest of it, then?" Scorpius said snobbishly, raising his chin in the same spoilt-brat sort of way he had before.

Albus's grin only reduced a bit as he answered Scorpius. "Severus. Albus Severus Potter."

Scorpius made a face and leant forward; the smirk on his face was very smug and self-important. "Too bad, Potter, I've still got you beat."

Albus frowned and sat up straighter, crossing his arms. "Let's hear it, then."

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy."

Finally catching on at long last, Rose giggled as the two pulled faces at each other.

"Now _that's_ more like it," she said happily, sitting back and crossing her legs. She shot another brilliant smile at Scorpius, causing him to duck his head, apparently embarrassed at being dragged into having a ridiculous conversation with two people he'd just met and gotten off on the wrong foot with. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the Sweets Trolley.

"Anything from the trolley, dearies?" the plump old witch asked cheerily, smiling warmly at the three of them.

Scorpius grumbled a half-hearted no, but both Albus and Rose jumped up excitedly and bought a bunch of sweets from the trolley.

Once the door was shut and the witch had rattled on to the next compartment, Albus and Rose began opening up their sweets, talking happily between themselves.

Rose suddenly looked up, just as she finished opening a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. She leaned forward and tapped Scorpius – who was staring sullenly out the window and mumbling under his breath – causing him to jump up and stare at her wide-eyed. Rose simply grinned and held out the box, shaking it when he continued to stare at her.

Scorpius eyes the box for a moment and then making a face like he would regret what he was about to do, dipped his hand in and pulled out a single, pale, lavender coloured bean. He grimaced, eyeing it apprehensively. He looked up to see Rose and Albus's expectant expressions and swallowed the candy, trying very hard not to taste it.

He immediately made an extremely sour face, sticking out his tongue and diving around Rose to grab a handful of Apple Rings from the pack in Albus's hands. Shoving a couple in his mouth, he scrunched up his eyebrows in concentration as he chewed on the sweets, trying to get rid of whatever flavoured bean he had eaten.

"Well?" Albus asked excitedly and Scorpius shot him an annoyed look. Unfazed, Albus leaned forward and even Rose looked at the blond eagerly. Sighing, Scorpius muttered as softly as he could, "Owl pellets."

He had hoped the two wouldn't hear it, but Albus threw his head back, roaring with laughter. Rose giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth.

Scorpius's cheeks turned furiously pink and he sniffed pompously at them. "Why don't you two try it. Go on, then."

Albus grinned at Rose, who smiled back half-heartedly, both rummaging in the box till they pulled out a bean that didn't have a ghastly colour. Rose's was a blood red and Scorpius hoped it tasted nearly as horrible as it looked, but her face lit up delightedly as she sang, "Bean soup!"

Scorpius shot her an indignant look and turned to Albus, perking up at the way his face was twisting.

"Eargh, snot!"

Rose chortled happily and even Scorpius smirked with satisfaction. When Albus finally looked up, his cheeks were stuffed with sweets, making him look like a chipmunk.

"Gross!" Rose yelled, smacking his arm and Scorpius scrunched up his nose in a dignified way, although he began laughing when Albus threw a toffee at him.

Soon the small compartment was full of boisterous laughter, the kind of sound expected from a group of eleven year olds. The gales of laughter finally subsiding, the trio settled back in their seats, chuckling quietly. Albus absentmindedly tossed a wrapper on the floor and Rose squawked angrily, sending the two boys into another fit of choking and spluttering as they tried to hide from Rose's furious glare. She bent down, picked up the wrapper and plopped down beside Scorpius.

He looked at her wide-eyed, shocked that she would sit beside him as though nothing had happened between them. Rose smiled shyly at him and then looked away, focusing on her cousin, who was now falling asleep - the exhaustion of the day's activities and the stress from all his worrying finally getting to him - his head lolling onto his shoulder. The girl smiled fondly at him and the two sat in silence for a long time, Rose watching Albus move and mumble in his restless sleep and Scorpius staring out the window.

"So," Rose finally said, clearing her throat. Scorpius glanced at her, mildly curious. Glad that he hadn't ignored her, Rose perked up and positioned herself cross-legged so she was angled toward Scorpius. "Which house do you think you'll be Sorted into?"

From the look he gave her, she knew it had been a really dumb question to ask and she flushed, ducking her head so her bangs fell across her eyes.

"…Slytherin."

Rose looked up, once again surprised that he had answered her. He frowned at the expression on her face and looked away, his ears turning pink. Rose smiled at that and waited, knowing he had more to say.

"But I would rather not be in it," he said so softly, Rose had to lean in closer to hear.

Noticing how close she was, Scorpius stiffened and pushed himself flat against the window, sniffing disdainfully at her. When she simply looked at him with those curious, round eyes, he sighed and continued, knowing she wouldn't give up till he said something.

"I would rather not be in Slytherin," he started again, slightly louder than last time, but still unsure of why he was telling such personal things to a girl he had just met, who had very ungracefully sat on him and humiliated him and to top it all off, was a Weasley.

"Why not?" her voice cut into his mental dilemma and he shrugged a shoulder, not looking at her.

He didn't answer and the silence kept growing steadily, but Rose knew there was no point in questioning him further because he wouldn't tell her any more. So she made herself comfortable and said, "Well, I suppose I would be sorted into Gryffindor."

It was only after Scorpius looked at her and asked her why, with slight annoyance, that she continued, "Well, because I'm a Weasley."

She looked up, twirling a strand of her reddish hair in her fingers as if to emphasise her point. Scorpius sniffed at her and turned back to look out the window.

Knowing the conversation wasn't going to continue anymore, Rose got up and sat down beside Albus, pulling his head onto her shoulder.

Even after the sky darkened and nothing was visible outside the window, Scorpius continued to stare out of it, as though only he could see things that were otherwise invisible to the naked eye. When the Hogwarts Express finally hooted loudly, signalling their arrival at Hogsmeade Station, Rose was snapped out of her daze and hurriedly shook Albus awake.

The boy simply mumbled incoherently at her, but when she said they had arrived and he was yet to change into his robes, Albus snapped awake, stood up and began awkwardly pulling his robes and hat over his normal clothes.

They bustled outside and joined the sea of students waiting to depart from the warm train. Rose looked back, meaning to say goodbye to Scorpius, but he had disappeared and she turned back around, slightly miffed that he had left without saying anything. When she told Albus of this, he simply shrugged offhandedly and rubbed at his eyes, mumbling something like, "Of course he did. What, did you expect us to become friends or something?"

Rose frowned at her cousin and Albus began nervously pressing down on his hair, trying to keep it in place. After about the fifth time he breathed into his palms and tried to get his hair to obey him, Rose lifted her hands to his head and said with irritation, "Here, let me."

Just as Rose was losing patience with Albus's hair - which absolutely refused to lie flat – James' familiar voice called from the Platform; "There they are! Oi! Rosie, Al, over here!"

Albus groaned at his brother's wide grin while their cousin Louis helped Rose down.

"There we go," Lois Weasley said, smiling at Rose. She grinned back at him, glad that at least one of her older male cousins was responsible.

"This year is going to be so much fun!"

Albus was looking despairingly at Rose as James swung an arm around his shoulders and chortled happily. Before Rose could wean him away, Victoire took control of the situation.

"That's quite enough, James. The first years are being called, so you two should go," she added, smiling at Rose and hugging her.

"All the luck to you, dear cousin," Louis said sweetly, folding Rose in a bone-crushing hug. Fred and Dominique Weasley followed suit, with a "Don't let that ruddy hat tell you what to do!" and a "Hurry or you'll have to swim across!" Last but not the least, her dear cousin Molly Weasley pinched her cheeks and hugged her swiftly, patting her on the back and telling her to hurry along.

Just as she moved to join the crowd of first years who were heading toward the lake, James grabbed Rose and crushed her and Albus together, whispering slyly, "Don't worry if you get Sorted into Slytherin, Al, we'll still love you."

"James!" came three frustrated female voices and Victoire had to bodily pull him off so the two could run away before he grabbed them again.

They could hear him yelling to them until they reached the lake, both of them ducking their heads and blushing furiously at being publicly embarrassed.

"Firs' years this way!" called a loud booming voice and the two grinned up at the huge, burly man holding a lantern.

"Hi Hagrid," Rose and Albus chorused and Hagrid grinned down at them, the grey hairs in his bushy brown beard glinting in the lantern light.

"Alrigh' there, Rosie? Al?"

"Alright," they chorused, beaming up at him and he chuckled, patting them into the first boat.

As he got into the rickety, small wooden thing behind them, they could hear him muttering to himself, "Getting' righ' ol' fer this, I am."

And off they were, sailing across the Black Lake like all the first years before them, gasping and pointing as the enormous castle atop a hill came into view, groaning as they missed their footing and got their shoes wet and marching toward the Entrance Hall, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

When Rose turned to ask Albus whether he was doing OK, he saw that his face was scrunched up in concentration and extremely pale, like he was trying very hard not to fall sick.

"Al," she whispered, edging closer to him as a tiny old wizard appeared the top of the stairs and began the traditional speech given to the first years before the sorting. He puffed out his chest and squeaked down at them,

"All first years, as you know, will be Sorted into the four Hogwarts houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin; before you join the rest of the students for the welcome feast—"

"Who is that tiny man?" someone giggled behind Rose and she immediately spun around and found herself snapping at the wide-eyed girl, "That's the Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick."

The girl gave her a weird look and Rose spun around, her face turning beet red. Filius Flitwick was still squeaking down at them, "—remain a part of them until your final day here and hence the members of your house shall be like a second family to you. As you know, any rules broken will lead to deduction of points and any achievements will lead to—"

Albus began muttering under his breath and Rose ignored Professor Flitwick again to bend towards him, hissing under her breath, "Al, _will_ you calm down?"

"B-But what if… Slytherin… I get Sorted… What will my parents say…"

"Your parents will not care whether you're in Slytherin or Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw!"

Albus looked at Rose with wide-eyes, knowing what she had said was true, because his father had said the same thing to him before he had boarded the Hogwarts Express. "But.. what will James say! I won't hear the end of it!"

Rose rolled her eyes and shot him a stern look. "James is going to have something to say even if you became the best Head Boy and Quidditch Captain Hogwarts ever had."

Albus nodded more to himself than Rose, going back to muttering under his breath. Rose shook her head and concentrated on Flitwick, but he had already finished his speech and was leading the students up the Grand Staircase and into the Great Hall.

As Albus and Rose entered, they momentarily forgot all about their worries and nervousness as they took in the sight in front of them.

The Great Hall was everything they had expected it to be and more; complete with the four long tables, the bewitched ceiling that shone with billions of stars, the house banners hanging over each respective table, the teachers' table at the back with the Hogwarts chest of arms hanging behind it; it was perfect.

Someone to the right of Rose whispered something about the ceiling and she once again opened her mouth to tell whoever it was that it was bewitched, but someone beat her to it and she turned around, wide-eyed, at the familiar snobbish voice.

Scorpius glanced at her for a second, before looking at the stool in front of them—where an extremely old and ragged hat sat. Rose tried to find her cousins at the Gryffindor table and they all waved at her, and she returned the wave with a small smile.

Professor Flitwick began reading names from a piece of parchment longer than he was tall and slowly, student after student sat on the stool, pulled the hat over their heads and scrunched their eyes shut as the Sorting Hat gave them its verdict.

Rose started, when Flitwick squeaked, "Malfoy, Scorpius!" and Scorpius sat on the stool; pulling the hat over his head and staring right in front of him with a dignified expression on his face.

Rose noticed how a hush had fallen over the Hall when Scorpius's name had been called and she noticed that every single teacher and student were staring at him, knowing looks in their eyes.

The Hat took a little longer with Scorpius than it did with the others, muttering to itself. Finally, it called a loud, "SLYTHERIN!" and Rose let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

Rose watched as Scorpius marched upto the Slytherin table and sat at it, nodding politely to the people around.

All too soon, Flitwick was calling, "Potter, Albus!" and Albus cringed at the sound of his name as he shuffled up and slid onto the stool.

Once again, there were some hushed whispers and the Hat took the same amount of time with Albus as it had with Scorpius. Rose noticed that although Albus was clutching the stool for dear life and had his eyes clenched shut, his lips were moving, as though he was conversing with the hat.

Finally, the hat looked up, stared around at the four houses and bellowed, "SLYTHERIN!"

There was an absolute and complete silence that engulfed the entire Great Hall and everybody was staring at Albus as he stood up shakily, cast a terrified look towards the Gryffindor table and ducking his head, nearly ran to the Slytherin table. The silence continued for a few moments until Albus took the seat beside Scorpius – who shot him a weak, half-hearted smile – and was finally broken by Flitwick calling the next name.

Rose was so filled with dread and worry and didn't take her eyes off Albus, she almost didn't hear her name being squeaked; "Weasley, Rose!"

Rose gasped and rushed to sit on the stool, clutching her hands in her lap and staring forwards as Scorpius had done, as the Hat started muttering around her head. She was so focused on not getting sick and not breaking down into a puddle of tears, that she didn't hear the dilemma that the Hat was apparently having about whether to place her in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.

She caught it saying something about her having her mother's genius but unfortunately her father's looks and genes as well, and Rose felt the doom settle on her as the Hat bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!"

Rose's stomach dropped and her eyes instantly flew to the Slytherin table where – her heart dropped as well – Albus was nearly half hidden in his seat. Blinking away tears, she swallowed, jumped off the stool and ran to the table where all of her family – _except Albus -_ her mind supplied helpfully – were cheering and welcoming her.

She was immediately engulfed in a huge bear hug as everyone started shouting and congratulating her all at once and she could only bring herself to smile weakly as she kept glancing at the other end of the Hall.

Soon, all the first years had been sorted, the Headmistress's speech had been given, the overflowing platters of food had slowly disappeared and fully satiated students were leaving the Hall, Prefects leading the way towards their respective Common Rooms.

Rose was standing on her tiptoes, trying to spot Albus, her heart beating painfully in her chest, pity welling up inside her for her cousin, as she was carried out of the Great Hall by the moving crowd.

"Rosie," Molly said, grabbing her hand and leading her up the Changing Staircases, giving her a small smile, "Al is going to be okay."

Rose simply looked at her cousin, knowing the girl meant well, but finding herself unconvinced. When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, behind which was the Gryffindor Common Room, she noticed none of her male cousins were around.

"I don't see Louis and Fred," she said to Victoire and Dominique as the Gryffindors began climbing into the hole behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. Victoire smiled at her and gently pushed her towards the opening. "Nor do I see James," Rose exclaimed hurriedly as she disappeared into the warmly lit Common Room.

It was only the next day that she found out the whereabouts of the boys. They had gone to make sure Albus was OK, and when Rose went to the Great Hall early the next day, she saw him sitting at the Slytherin table, chatting quite relaxedly with Scorpius – who was eating his breakfast rather sullenly.

Rose had gone and sat with them – ignoring the absolutely horrified glares from the rest of the then present Slytherins, who weren't many to begin with – refusing to go back to the Gryffindor table because she would rather be there with them.

Albus and Scorpius had exchanged stunned looks and then Albus had grinned gratefully at her.

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**A/n: **So I'm back and bring with me one of my ultimate OTPs of the Harry Potter universe. Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy are absolutely brilliant as singular entities, but together they are beyond perfection. This story starts from their First year at Hogwarts and goes on till their Seventh year. Most of the story is from Rose's POV but in between I've written it from Scorpius's POV and Albus's POV as well. **Like I said, the first two years is just an introduction to the rest of the story, so just be patient. I didn't want to just skip ahead because I felt it was crucial that I began right from the very beginning. It's a very good place to start!**

**Most of their ages are along the lines of the epilogue, but I pulled Fred's age lower so he and James were in the same year. He's about the same age as Dominique or Molly I think, if not a year older. It wasn't easy to write very much in respect to Scorpius and Rose in the first two-three years, so bear with me. It's sort of a very long introduction and hints out their relationship. Also I've tried to bring in the rest of the family as much and as subtly as possible because hell, who doesn't like a little too much of the Weasley-Potter clan?**

**Well I can't think of anything else to say... this is my first HP fic and I've tried writing it in as British a way as possible (Thank you RP) so hope you like it!**

**Please please please please Review favorite and follow! Tell me what you think because I really need to know!**

**Love~**


	2. What's In A Name

**A/n: **

**Here's my promised early update because of all you wonderful people who reviewed, favorited and followed. You guys make me cry :')**

**Keep up the good work and review favorite and follow more more more!**

**And now back to the story~**

**Love~**

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**Chapter 2**

**What's In a Name**

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Scorpius ducked his head as he rushed past the myriad of students gathered in the corridors, winding and dodging between them and avoiding contact as much as possible. He had just spotted his History of Magic classroom and breathed a sigh of relief, pausing outside the door to catch his breath, glad that he had successfully gotten past the first ordeal of the day.

Or so he thought.

"Why, if it isn't the wee little Malfoy boy!"

Scorpius felt his intestines coil around his stomach, at the sound of the drawling voice behind him. Drawing in a shaky breath, he slowly turned around, eyes never leaving the floor.

He saw a pair of overly large feet right in front of him and two pairs slightly behind them. His mind was churning out escape plans as his eyes flitted to his sides, gauging the distance between him and the lot in front of him… him and the door behind him… him and the crowd of students slowly forming around them…

"What's wrong, Malfoy? Cat got your tongue?"

Scorpius bit back a sigh as he continued to stare down at the ground, his father's words prior to leaving home echoing in his head.

"_Scorpius,"_ Draco Malfoy had started, his voice strained and as devoid of emotion as ever, _"you are a Malfoy."_

Scorpius had stared up at his father, wondering what point the man was trying to make by informing him of the obvious. But Draco's eyes had hardened as he continued, _"And you must bear the burdens that come with that name."_

At first, Scorpius hadn't understood. He was leaving to school in a couple of hours and there he was, listening to one of his father's incomprehensible speeches instead of going through his textbooks again. Nevertheless, Scorpius had nodded solemnly; afraid to cause his father to think he needed to elaborate.

But Draco only eyed his son for a moment, sighed, put a cold hand on Scorpius's shoulder and said, _"No matter what any one says, no matter what any one does, no matter what happens for you to come to hate your name; always remember that you are, and will always be a Malfoy."_

Scorpius had initially assumed that the speech was meant for him to feel proud of the name he bore and the generations he had succeeded, but from the pained look in his father's murky eyes, Scorpius was left feeling unsettled.

He knew what it meant to bear the Malfoy name. He knew what the world had branded them as. Although he was young, he knew.

He had seen the way the world had looked at his father before they had shut themselves in Malfoy Manor. Those eyes that reflected nothing but deep hatred, disgust and horror whenever the Malfoys walked in public. Wherever they went, those probing, loathing eyes followed them. Scorpius had only been a child then, merely at the tender age of six. Yet, he had still understood. He had understood that his family was hated by society… hated by the Wizarding world… and when he looked at the immense dislike in his father's expression, hated by the very people who received the hatred.

Scorpius had heard hasty whispers wherever he had gone; terrible tales of the War, of what the Malfoys had done, of how they had gotten away unscathed. And Scorpius had been forced to wonder on countless occasions if the hatred directed towards his family was the world's way of punishing them for the crimes that they had committed... for the sins that had gone exonerated... for the lives that had been taken... for the wrongs that would never be forgiven… Scorpius would never forget those eyes. They haunted his dreams, still, several years later, causing him to wake up screaming, bathed in cold sweat.

That was when Scorpius had decided. It was not a good feeing, being hated. It was the worst feeling in the world, to look up and see nothing but the disgust and revulsion in the eyes of everyone that looked down at him. He had believed once that maybe there were a few people who were different, who didn't mind, but he had been very wrong. For behind those tight-lipped smiles and high-pitched laughs, was the same bubbling hatred.

No matter where he went, he could feel it looming over him, smothering him, choking the life out of him.

He remembered when it had become intolerable to him, a mere child, and he lay weeping in his mother's lap, asking her why everyone hated him. Astoria Malfoy had brushed back his hair and cooed softly that he must ignore the taunts and jeers, the mockery and the insults, because despite what anybody said or did, Scorpius had done absolutely nothing wrong. That was when he had looked up at her with wide eyes pooling with tears and asked her why they hated him so, if he had done absolutely nothing to deserve it. A pained expression had overcome his mother's face then, and he remembered her pulling him into her arms and rocking him back and forth as she whispered sweet nothings to him.

Then, he had not understood. Now, he did.

It didn't matter to the world that he had done nothing wrong. It didn't matter to the world that he, as a separate individual, was innocent. It didn't even matter to the world that he was the victim in the pool of hatred. No, all that mattered was the name that was given to him and the burdens that came with it.

_You are a Malfoy._

Scorpius slowly raised his head, swallowing the lump in his throat as he finally looked into the face of the enemy. He almost regretted it, seeing how ugly the older boy was, jeering down at him. But he took a deep breath and held his gaze firm. It was too late to run away. It was too late to hide. It was too late to do anything other than stand up and fight, because really, what could he do?

He was born with a name that cursed him forever more, despite who or what he was or chose to become. A curse that would forever place him at the center of everyone's hatred. And Scorpius had learnt better than to run away; because how could one possibly run from one's name? And how far would he go, till the world caught up with him again?

No. He would fight. He would be defeated over and over again, but he would fight. That was the resolution with which he had boarded the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾ the previous day.

_You are, and will always be a Malfoy._

"I'm very sorry, but I have a class right now. So, if you'll excuse me…"

Scorpius took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was coming next. But it still took him by surprise, when the Third year's fist collided with the side of his face, the sheer force of it throwing him back and against the classroom door. His legs gave away and he crumpled to a heap on the floor. His hand was shaking violently as he reached upwards and touched the side of his face. The sharp pain that shot through him was enough to tell him that it would bloom into a nasty bruise.

Scorpius sighed again, staring at the feet until they turned and walked away, his ears ringing from their harsh, spiteful laughter. He closed his eyes and swallowed, wincing at how dry his throat felt. He lay there, his head hanging, and gave his heart a minute to calm down.

He was just about to stand up, when there was a gasp and two pairs of feet stopped beside him. Sighing, he looked up, prepared to shoot a cold glare at whoever it was, but he faltered when he saw who was standing there.

Rose Weasley and Albus Potter looked absolutely horrified. Albus came and squatted beside him, wincing when he looked at Scorpius's face.

"What happened!?"

The blond looked up at the Weasley girl and licked his lips, opening his mouth to mumble, "Got into a fight."

Rose's eyes went even rounder than they already were, causing Scorpius to mildly worry if they would pop out of their sockets.

"Fighting in school! And on the first day! What were you thin—"

"Seems like a pretty one-sided fight," Albus said slowly, cutting his cousin off. He looked into Scorpius's grey eyes for a moment and then shaking his head, heaved him up.

"Alright, come on. Off we go to the Hospital Wing."

"What?!" Rose shrieked, seemingly horror-stricken by the fact that the two boys were going to miss their first class on the first day of school.

Albus eyed her with irritation and snapped, "Aren't you late for class?"

Realising that she indeed was late to class, Rose wailed and took off, blabbering something about coming to visit during lunch.

Albus rolled his eyes and hooked Scorpius's arm around his shoulder, pulling him to his feet and slowly helping him down the corridor.

The progress was slow and the silence was awkward. So, although the corner of his mouth burned when he spoke, Scorpius said, "I can go on my own, there's really no need—"

"Oh, shut up, will you," Albus snapped, cutting him off. "Really. Letting yourself get beat up? What were you thinking!"

Scorpius shrugged awkwardly, clearing his throat. Albus sighed and hefted him up some more so he could walk better.

They didn't speak until they rounded the corner and reached the Hospital Wing. They both heaved great sighs of relief at the sight of the large double doors. Albus reached forward to open it, but he had barely touched the handle, when the door was flung open, causing the two boys to jump back with a yelp.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Vic! How many times do I have to—"

James stopped abruptly at the sound of yelping and turned to look at Albus and Scorpius.

Victoire had just shut the door behind her and turned around, catching sight of them and gasping in horror.

"_Albus!"_ She shrieked, rushing over to him. James followed close behind, helping to extricate Scorpius from Albus and wrapped his arms around the younger boy's waist instead.

"What the bloody hell happened!" he all but shouted, causing Victoire to shoot him a warning look.

Albus just rubbed his face, thoroughly fed up with his situation, but Scorpius shifted uncomfortably, staring at his shoes.

"You," Victoire said to him and he looked up. She looked back at him with soft, wide eyes and said, "You're Scorpius Malfoy, aren't you?"

Scorpius nodded and felt James stiffen beside him.

Albus caught Scorpius just in time, as James backed away, glaring down at him. "You! You're the one who made Rosie cry on the train!"

Scorpius opened his mouth, but Victoire beat him to it.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, James! Can't you see the boy is injured?!"

James snarled, spinning around to face Victoire, but Albus used that opportunity to dart around them, pull open the door and hurry inside, pushing the door shut with a loud bang.

With the amount of noise they had made, the matron in charge almost ran out of her room. She eyed them for a split second, before bustling toward them, motioning for Albus to help Scorpius onto the closest bed.

While the nurse fussed over him, Scorpius glanced at Albus – who was staring intently at everything except Scorpius – and then at the room he was in.

The Hospital Wing was a long room with several beds pushed against the walls on either side. Sunlight streamed in through the windows opposite him, causing shadows to move across the ground whenever the privacy curtains around the beds fluttered.

"My goodness, boy! What in the world did you do to get beat up like this? And on the first day of school, too!" she exclaimed, tilting Scorpius's head back and nearly forcing down a spoon full of medicine. "You're first years, aren't you?" the nurse added, looking questioningly at Albus. He nodded, looking chastised. She huffed and turned back to Scorpius, tutting disapprovingly.

"Boys these days, I tell you. That Potter boy was just in here a moment ago with a broken wrist. _How_ he managed to break it while carrying a pile of books for his teacher is absolutely beyond me."

Suddenly, the witch looked up, eyeing Albus like she had seen him for the first time. "Wait a moment… what's your name, boy?"

"Albus Potter, madam," Albus mumbled.

The witch's eyes flashed, as she exclaimed, "Aha! I knew it! You Potters and Weasleys are going to be the death of me! If you don't kill yourselves, first," she added severely, looking from Scorpius to Albus.

"Oh," Scorpius said, trying to sit up and being immediately pushed back down by her. "I'm Scorpius Malfoy."

The nurse heaved a great sigh and shook her head. "But of course."

She began to walk away, and Albus hurried after her. "Er, madam!"

The nurse looked back and he halted suddenly, almost toppling over from the abrupt stop. He gulped and said, "Please, madam, if you would write me a letter stating the reasons for my absence in the first period—" he broke off as the witch puffed up angrily, her eyes bulging.

"Letter for missing class!" she screeched, spinning on her heel and walking toward her office briskly, leaving a stunned Albus to stand awkwardly at the foot of Scorpius's bed. They could hear her screaming about students and their absolute arrogance even as she disappeared into the far room.

Albus sighed and flopped down on the bed next to Scorpius's, massaging his temples. He suddenly snapped his head up, glaring at Scorpius.

"Well, you owe me an explanation at least, for all the trouble I've gone through for your sake."

Scorpius looked back evenly and Albus opened his mouth as if to yell at him, but the blond simply nodded. Albus's mouth snapped shut and he eyed Scorpius suspiciously. "What, that's it?"

Scorpius shrugged and continued to look at him. Albus's mouth fell open in shock and he waved his arms around wildly.

"Yesterday you were all ready to pounce on me for talking back to you and now suddenly you're all meek and obedient and ready to answer personal questions just like that?"

Scorpius shrugged again and Albus huffed, crossing his arms and muttering, "What's with that."

Scorpius couldn't help but smirk at the dark-haired boy, who continued to glare at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

Albus raised an eyebrow and Scorpius laughed humourlessly. "It's the truth. I'm only telling you because I owe it to you. Whether you believe me or not is not my problem."

Albus narrowed his eyes but remained silent, waiting for the blond to continue.

"This third year stopped me before I entered class and tried to humiliate me. I asked him to excuse me because I was late for class and he punched me." Scorpius said everything quietly and with a voice as devoid of emotion as he could muster.

Albus's eyes grew wide by the end of it and he whispered, "You were bullied?"

Scorpius laughed again, and this time his voice sounded harsh even to his ears. Albus flinched but didn't look away.

Sighing, Scorpius shrugged and said slowly, "I'm used to it."

He had been staring down at his hands the whole time while talking, so he hadn't seen Albus's reaction. So when he looked up, he was shocked to see the explicit anger on the other boy's face.

"Potter?" Scorpius questioned, getting Albus to turn towards him. His emerald green eyes were dark and swimming with emotion, and Scorpius felt his breath catch in his throat.

That was the first time in his life that he had seen somebody who wasn't directly related to him get angry for him. He had never expected anybody to feel angry on his behalf, let alone the son of his father's enemy.

"Why?" he said, before he could stop himself and Albus looked at him in confusion. Scorpius shook his head and looked down at his hands again. "Why do you look so… angry?"

"_Why?!_"

Scorpius flinched at the strength of the other's voice and looked back at Albus. The boy was literally trembling from head to toe now that he had jumped up to stand beside Scorpius.

"What do you mean why! How dare he! No matter whether he was a Third year or First year, he had no right to insult you or your family!"

And Scorpius suddenly realised that the boy was smarter than he looked, those deep eyes flashing with determination.

"Do you know which house he belongs to?"

Scorpius stared at Albus for a minute, trying to remember the colour of the Third year's tie.

"He was a Slytherin, I think," he said finally, brows furrowing.

Albus's eyes widened again and he looked confused.

"Why—"

"Why would a fellow Slytherin want to beat me up?" Scorpius asked for Albus and the latter nodded slowly. Scorpius could feel his trade mark smirk tugging at his mouth as he said bitterly, "I'm sure you already know, Potter, but my family conveniently abandoned the Dark Lord just before his fall and escaped immediately after. That, and the fact that the Malfoys were never incriminated for anything they ever did."

When Albus didn't look any closer to understanding than he had a minute ago, Scorpius sighed and continued, "I'm sure you know several Slytherin families were related directly or indirectly to the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. It's only obvious that their children would carry on their grandparents' or parents' hatred and take it out on the lone successor to the Malfoy name."

Albus's eyes finally widened in realisation and Scorpius looked away. Even if he hated that he was bullied for no fault of his, he did not want to be victimised.

"Well then," Albus started slowly, his voice almost a whisper, "if the Slytherins hate _you_ so much, I wonder what they think of _me._"

And then he laughed, presumably from the look on Scorpius's face, and shrugged, grinning. "A Potter in Slytherin? That's as good as a Malfoy in Gryffindor. I'm pretty sure I'll be accompanying you here next time with a battle wound of my own."

Scorpius did not remotely understand what could possibly be so wonderful about getting punched that was causing Albus Potter to grin so widely, but he definitely felt himself ease into the hard mattress, his body finally giving in to the effects of the medicine.

"Then you better stay away from me. It would make it worse if a Potter was with a Malfoy, wouldn't it?"

"Rubbish. I'll bloody well be friends with who-so-ever I please!"

Scorpius eyed Albus wearily, barely clinging onto consciousness. "Shouldn't you hate me?"

"Why?"

Scorpius stared. "What do you mean why?"

Albus simply shrugged and grinned. "You haven't done anything to me, so why should I hate you? I don't particularly like you, mind, since you're a prat, but I don't hate you."

Scorpius found himself laughing at the absurdity of it all. "I'm a Malfoy! That should be reason enough to hate me!"

"Codswallop," Albus said, standing up. "What's in a name, anyway?"

Scorpius found himself thinking that Albus was a miracle in human form. But that might just be the drugs taking effect, as he felt his eyelids grow immensely heavy.

Albus must have noticed, because he grinned down at Scorpius, patted his shoulder and said, "Night, Scorpius! See you later!"

Scorpius watched the boy's shaggy hair disappear behind the door and heard Albus's voice replaying in his head, repeating his name over and over. For some reason, the sound of his first name coming from someone else's mouth other than his parents' or grandparents' made him feel an immense relief that he had never before felt in his life. The corners of his mouth turned upwards as his head sunk into the Hospital pillow, his mind slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**A/n: Aaaand there you have it! So precious :')**

**Yes, I would think Scorpius was bullied when he went to school. So I decided to write on it. (Also it was the perfect way to get him and Al to become buddies so...)**

**Let me know what you think by reviewing! **

**Love love love~**


	3. Like Parents Like Children

**Chapter 3**

**Like Parents Like Children**

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Rose could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she weaved through the crowd, pushing her way in between the massive bodies and squeezing in through the tiny gaps only an eleven-year-old could fit through.

All too soon, she was at the front of the crowd and had a clear view of what was happening.

There, in the middle of the giant circle of curious students, was a pack of seven boys. Three large Third years, one disinterested Fourth year and three just as large Second years. And cowering in the center of the haphazard circle, were her dear cousin Albus and his best mate Scorpius.

Honestly, Rose could not for the life of her understand why Albus would throw himself in the lion's mouth for Scorpius Malfoy's sake. Yes, she got that they were best mates, but the self-acclaimed title was even more recent than the amount of time the two had known each other. Which was exactly one month.

So, once again, Rose found herself agitated and annoyed that her cousin had gotten into trouble yet again because of the 'Malfoy boy' as she still called him. It wasn't that Rose particularly disliked Scorpius Malfoy, but neither was she exactly fond of him either. It was more like an I-shall-be-cordial-towards-you-as-you-are-my-cousin's-friend sort of thing.

Rose was pulled out of her thoughts as murmurs broke out through the watching crowd. She had suddenly been pushed between two fifth year Ravenclaw girls while she was lost in thought, and hence squeezed her way back to the front, intent on knowing exactly what was going on.

The older boys were surrounding a shaking Albus and an equally frightened looking Scorpius – although, from the way he kept glancing at Albus, it was more like he feared for his friend's life rather than his own – sniggering and sneering and being absolutely like the horrid, obnoxious Slytherins they were.

When Rose had heard the commotion, she had immediately known who had caused it. She had been torn between running to fetch James or one of the other boys, and going and making sure her cousin – and his friend – were OK. So there she was, trying to stay at the front of the crowd, watching the ongoing scene while biting her lip and wondering if she had made a giant mistake by not going to fetch James first.

Just as she was mentally berating herself for being such an idiot, Albus yelled and Rose's head snapped up, eyes darting towards her cousin. He was lying across the floor, slowly sitting up, hand clutching his jaw. Rose's eyes began to fill with tears and she had to stop herself from running back to the Common Room to find James. She knew he would probably have heard what was going on by then.

Now, the biggest of the Third years was leering down at Albus and he raised his fist again, but Scorpius was instantly in front of Albus and took the hit instead. Rose's eyes widened and a sob escaped her lips as Albus shouted Scorpius's name, the blond toppling over, groaning with pain.

Rose was just about to launch herself into the circle when there was a big commotion behind her and suddenly the crowd began dispersing hurriedly. She tilted her head slightly, eyes never leaving the two boys in the middle, as she watched what was happening through the corner of her eyes.

People were pushing through the crowd and Rose immediately snapped her head towards them, momentarily tearing her eyes away from Albus and Scorpius. She cried out in relief as James appeared, hollering at the top of his lungs. Behind him, a red faced Louis and an equally furious Fred barged through the crowd, pushing their way to the center.

Rose could hear Victoire's voice somewhere at the back shouting, "Over here, Professor!" and Rose turned back to the scene in front of her, tears pushed back by relief.

As she watched, James lunged at the burly Third year and Fred and Louis went at the other two. The lone Fourth year had long since disappeared and the three Second years were held at bay by a screaming Dominique and an equally enraged Molly.

Just as James started pulverising the Third year, the crowd having almost completely dispersed by now - only a handful of extremely curious stragglers hanging behind, the thought of a huge piece of gossip being of greater concern than their own wellbeing - Professor Longbottom hurried towards the six wrestling boys, yelling at the top of his lungs to be heard over their shouting and swearing.

"Mister Potter! Misters Weasley! Stop it at once!"

That didn't seem to work though, as the brothers continued to pound at the Slytherins. Neville Longbottom grabbed ahold of James and tried to pry him off the other boy, very unsuccessfully.

"Professor!" came another voice and Rose watched as the Head Boy, Mayes Noel, joined Neville in pulling a screaming James off. Four other boys – who Rose assumed were Prefects – were holding onto equally raging Louis and Fred. As Neville and Noel tried to get James in control, Rose noticed that the Slytherins were using that chance to get away.

"Hey!" Rose shouted, running across the hall toward the escaping boys. Noticing her, several other Gryffindors – James' friends and fellow housemates – cornered the three, Dominique forcing the Second year trio towards the others, swishing her wand at them. Rose took a breath to calm herself, and turned to go to Albus, when a sudden commotion broke out from the circle where the Slytherins were being restrained.

As Rose watched, to her horror, the big burly Third year who had been pummeling Albus and Scorpius, managed to unhand himself and made his way toward the two unaware boys still on the floor. He reached into his robe for his wand and Rose, who was the closest, reacted instantly, her body moving without thinking.

She had shouted again and Scorpius had swiveled around, seen the Third year running toward him, wand out, his mouth forming words…

Scorpius closed his eyes tightly, expecting to fly back and ram against the wall because of a spell, but it never came. Instead, he heard Rose scream;

"_Expelliarmus!"_

Everyone paused in their shouting and wrestling to watch as Rose's spell hit the Third year, his wand flying out of his hand in a wide arc towards Rose. She caught it deftly and pointed both wands at the boy, who was now staring at her, a completely stunned expression on his face.

The fire still burning in Rose, she took a step forward and watched with immense satisfaction as fear appeared on the Slytherin's face. He cursed loudly and turned, but Rose had thrown his wand at him in a sudden impulsive moment and the point struck him on the head. Sparks flew out of the end as the boy shivered for a moment and then collapsed onto his side.

Everything was absolutely still and silent as everyone stared at the unconscious boy in the middle of the floor.

"_Rosie!_"

It was Albus's shout that startled everyone out of his or her daze and Rose looked up just in time to see her cousin hurtle towards her. She opened her mouth and tried to move out of the way, but he ran straight at her, crushing her tightly in his arms, laughing loudly.

"Al," Rose gasped, trying to pry herself away from her cousin. Her eyes flitted to Scorpius – who had finally stood up shakily – and their eyes met. An unknown emotion flickered across his grey eyes and then he smiled; a full, genuine smile. It took Rose's breath away – or maybe that was just Albus crushing her – and she smiled back at him shyly. His face broke into a grin and he jogged upto them, pulling Albus off the girl.

Almost instantaneously, all the Weasleys and Potter materialised around the trio, everyone speaking at the same time.

"That was _bloody brilliant _Rosie!"

"Did you see his wand fly!"

"Albus, are you alright? Your lip is bleeding!"

"Rosie, you're shivering, are you alright?"

"James, you're bleeding too!"

"But hell, did you see the way he fell! I heard the castle tremble just then!"

"_Now_ you're just exaggerating..."

"But that was brilliant, I tell you!"

"_All of you simmer down!"_

The whole lot of them immediately lapsed into silence and stared at Professor Longbottom. He was red in the face and looked extremely winded, but otherwise looked perfectly unhappy with the lot of them.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he started, holding up a hand when James opened his mouth to argue, "I heard that a group of older students were bullying two first years constantly, but to think it was you two..." he eyed Albus and Scorpius wearily. Albus hung his head in shame but Scorpius looked back indignantly, like his pride had been hurt.

Neville shook his head and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This is very serious," he told Albus and Scorpius and then turned to the rest of them. "I want the whole lot of you in bed immediately."

"But professor—"

"_Immediately,_ James."

James made a face at having been called by his first name, but nodded nonetheless. He shot Albus a worried look - which the latter returned with a small smile - ruffled his hair and turned to Rose. He bent down and hugged her, whispering, "You were brilliant, Rosie," in her ear, making the young girl beam with pride.

James nodded at Victoire and then slunk off, Fred and Louis in tow. Neville shot Victoire a 'you too' look and she looked thoroughly affronted, eyes widening and lips pursing. She flipped her perfect hair over her shoulders, called to Molly and Dominique, and followed after the boys.

Neville turned to look at Rose and she began following after her cousins, but he held onto her shoulder, saying, "I think you should wait as well, Rose."

Rose's eyes widened fearfully, but Neville shot her a small smile, nodded at the boys, and told them to go wait in his office while he spoke to Professor Slughorn about his extremely unruly charges.

None of them spoke as the trio made their way to the Greenhouses. Albus was nursing his swollen jaw, Scorpius was grimacing at the tear in his robes and Rose was biting her nails fearfully, absolutely sure she would be expelled. When she voiced this thought to the others, her wide brown eyes pooling with tears, they looked at her with alarm, clearly not expecting her to start crying again.

"R-Rosie," Albus started hesitantly, but when Rose stared at him with tear-filled eyes, his confidence failed him completely. He sighed, defeated and stared at her, wondering what to say.

"Are you daft?"

The cousins stared at Scorpius as he looked up from the rip in his sleeve and directed his full attention to Rose. Rose was so shocked, that she blinked away tears, her face reddening from anger.

"What's your problem, Malfoy," Albus growled at his best mate, his eyes narrowing. Scorpius simply shot him a quizzical look.

"She just asked if Professor Longbottom was going to expel her!"

"No I didn't," Rose shot back, her cheeks colouring again, "I said we _might_ get expelled. And when I said we, I really meant me, because neither of you did anything wrong and oh!" she wailed, burying her face in her hands. Albus stared at Rose's head with a completely flabbergasted expression and Scorpius smirked at her.

"You really _are_ daft Weasley." He grinned at her when her head snapped up, glaring at him. "Or maybe you're just soft in the head."

"How _dare_ you—"

"That's enough, Scorpius, stop teasing her."

Rose looked scandalised as she looked from Albus to Scorpius. "You were _teasing _me?"

Scorpius stared at Rose like she actually was soft in the head. And then he shook his head, laughing, wiping his eye dramatically. He looked at Albus and said, "Is she for real?"

Albus rolled his eyes and fixed Rose with a stern look. "Rosie, you really need to stop crying at the drop of a hat or everyone's going to start teasing you."

The look on Rose's face was one big, horrified 'No!' like she couldn't believe such a think could happen. Scorpius's laughter increased and Albus just rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Let's go before Professor Longbottom _actually_ decides to expel us."

Realising his mistake after saying it, he watched Rose shriek and run off across the lawn, towards the greenhouses, her already wild hair looking like a bright, bouncing mane behind her. Albus looked after her with pursed lips and Scorpius was still chortling beside him.

"You lot, I really must say—"

"_Don't,_" Albus warned and took off at a jog, afraid Rose may trip or get lost or something and start crying again.

"You dote on her way too much! That's why she's turned out so soft!" Scorpius yelled after him and Albus yelled back over his shoulder, "Sod off, Malfoy!"

Laughing, Scorpius followed, replaying the scene where Rose Disarmed the Third year over and over again in his head.

He couldn't help the grin that stayed on his face. The sight of a tiny first year girl completely suppressing a huge Third year with just one spell was simply too much. He chuckled softly as he entered the office, closing the door behind him.

"Finding something highly amusing are we, Mister Malfoy?"

Scorpius froze, his hand still on the door, as Headmistress McGonagall's voice reached him. He turned around slowly, his eyes darting up to find an absolutely terrified Rose and a very pale Albus standing with their heads bowed in front of Neville's desk, behind which sat an extremely grim Minerva McGonagall.

"Sorry Professor," he mumbled quietly, making his way to stand beside Albus. Scorpius glanced at Rose and as he feared, saw that she was on the verge of tears.

"Well," McGonagall began, looking at them severely from over her rectangular glasses. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Scorpius felt stung. He felt like he was being accused for something that he was a victim of. Although he knew that was how the world worked, he still couldn't help but feel betrayed.

"Really," McGonagall sighed, when all three continued to stare at the floor. "You manage to get yourselves into trouble barely a month into school. Like parents, like children, I suppose," she added tiredly, like she was completely through with the whole lot of them.

"Please, Professor," Rose choked.

McGonagall shifted her gaze to Rose and eyed her grimly. "Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"Please, Professor," Rose said again, her voice shaking from repressed tears. "Al and Scorpius have done nothing wrong!"

Scorpius's heart jolted again, at hearing another non-blood-related person call him by his first name. But he knew it was neither the time nor place to feel happy about such a thing, and continued to stare down at his shoes.

"Those Slytherins have been bothering Scorpius since the first day of school! They even sent him to the hospital!"

Scorpius grimaced, ashamed that his moment of utter humiliation was being brought to light.

McGonagall, on the other hand, didn't seem to care about his thoughts. "Is this true, Mister Malfoy?"

Scorpius nodded meekly, not trusting himself to speak. McGonagall sighed again and the chair creaked as she relaxed her posture. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Mister Malfoy," she said, her voice softer.

Scorpius shook his head, but Albus spoke up beside him. "Professor," he started tentatively and when McGonagall focused her strict gaze on him, he swallowed and continued, "it's true that Scorpius was bullied, but it isn't like he just keeps quiet and lets them just bully him, either."

Scorpius frowned and glanced sideways at Albus, unsure of why he was telling the Headmistress all this.

"And of what relevance is this, Mister Potter?"

Albus looked scathed, his eyes going wide.

"I think he was trying to say that Scorpius stood up for himself, which is why the fight broke out," Neville spoke up for the first time, bending close to McGonagall. She sighed and waved a hand at him. Then she looked at Scorpius and he saw for the first time how old and tired she looked.

"What do you want to do about this, Mister Malfoy? We could tell your parents, of course, and see what they have to say—"

"No!"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at his outburst and Scorpius's cheeks coloured. "I-I mean, no, Professor. I can deal with it myself."

"Doesn't seem like it, though," McGonagall said, her voice hard. "In a mere month, you and Mister Potter have been to the Hospital Wing several times. Not to mention the number of injuries sustained by the whole lot of you in today's brawl."

Her eyes then came to rest on Rose, who was now literally as red as her namesake, as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

"He- he was going to hurt Scorpius… and I just… it was on impulse, I really didn't mean—"

"That's quite all right, Miss Weasley. I wouldn't say you didn't do the lot of them some good with that perfectly executed Disarmament spell."

Rose looked up, her eyes wide and was rewarded with one of McGonagall's rare, genuine smiles. Rose gasped and McGonagall seemed to realise that she was Headmistress and was chastising a group of misbehaving students. She sat up straighter and held her chin up higher.

"Very well, then. I suppose all three of you are off the hook this time."

There were combined sighs of relief and all eyes turn to stare at Neville, who had sighed the deepest of all, and he smiled sheepishly. "Didn't quite know what to tell your parents," he told the trio.

"Alright, off you go, then!" McGonagall said, shooing them away.

"Professor," Scorpius paused, turning back hesitantly. She eyed him searchingly and he asked in a small voice, "Is it alright to use simple Disarming or Stunning spells to defend myself if I get physically assaulted, again?"

"Magic used in self defense is quite alright, I should think, Mister Malfoy. But only when most necessary," she added, raising a finger, but there was a twinkle in her eye. Scorpius nodded and left the Greenhouse, catching up with Albus and Rose outside.

"Oof, that was trying!"

"I almost thought she would expel us!"

Both boys rolled their eyes at Rose's back as she skipped ahead of them, her curls bouncing up and down.

Soon they were back inside Hogwarts and stood at the Entrance Hall, as Gryffindor tower and Slytherin Dungeon were on opposite sides of the castle. Albus grinned, hugged Rose, bid her goodnight and skipped away. Rose was about to turn when Scorpius caught her by the arm. She looked up, surprised.

"Thanks," he said solemnly and Rose's eyes widened before she smiled awkwardly at him and nodded.

"It was on impulse, though," she warned him, her eyes glittering with mirth, "Don't expect it to happen again!"

Scorpius grinned, nodded and headed off behind Albus. Rose watched him disappear around the corner and climbed the stairs.

She hummed softly, thinking to herself that maybe the 'Malfoy boy' wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**A/n: **

**Thank you for all the follows, favorite and reviews! :')**

**GIMME MOAR ROAR**

**Love~**


	4. The Disliked Malfoy Boy

**Chapter 4**

**The Disliked Malfoy Boy**

* * *

It was almost alarming how fast time flew by. What with all the classes, homework, finding their way through the many corridors of Hogwarts and trying to stay out of trouble, the First years barely noticed the seasons changing, or the air getting colder, or the days getting shorter. Before they knew it, winter had arrived and everything and everyone inside and outside Hogwarts was preparing to welcome another Christmas.

Even with the significant passage of time, two things seemed to remain constant. The first was that ever since the bullying incident, nobody had come so much as within a three meter radius of Scorpius – and the boy wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not, yet. The second was that it became a publicly accepted rumour that Albus Potter and Rose Weasley were Scorpius Malfoy's closest friends and allies, which apparently meant the boy was protected 24/7 by the Potter-Weasley clan. This of course, like any rumour, wasn't half true.

Rose shot another withering glare at a passing student as she heard him whisper something akin to 'The Second Generation Golden Trio'. She huffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder, thoroughly affronted that she was considered the Malfoy boy's best friend. She continued to glower at everyone who even glanced her way, until Albus elbowed her in her ribs, hard, causing her to fix her glare on him.

"For Merlin's sake, Rose! Just get over it already!"

"I absolutely _refuse_ to be put into the same category as the two of you!"

Albus's brows furrowed as he stopped abruptly, turning fully toward his cousin. "And what category would that be," he snapped at her, having had enough of her senseless sulking and moping. Rose stuck her lower lip out, her face colouring as she pointedly fixed her glare at the person standing behind Albus.

Scorpius simply regarded her with mild irritation, before running a hand through his hair, lifting his chin up haughtily and beginning to walk way, casually calling over his shoulder to Albus, "I'll see you later, then."

Albus barely even nodded in the blond's direction, his face darkening considerably. "Well?!"

Rose snapped her head back toward her cousin. "Well, what," she said carefully, her irritation dissipating now that the source of her annoyance was gone.

"You know what!" Albus said sharply, causing Rose to flinch. She sighed and looked down, knowing nothing she said was going to placate her cousin as she was the one in the wrong.

"Sorry," she mumbled, but Albus only made an annoyed sound and turning on his heel, followed after his friend.

Rose watched him until he disappeared into a crowd of students and bit her lip, tears stinging her eyes. She shook her head, willing the tears back down and chastising herself for almost crying so easily. Albus's words played in her head as she climbed the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

'_Rosie, you really need to stop crying at the drop of a hat or everyone's going to start teasing you.'_

She sniffed, mumbled the password, climbed through the portrait hole and made a beeline toward the dormitory, keeping her head bent the whole time. She pulled out a book and drowned herself in it, temporarily forgetting Albus and their argument.

It had only been temporary though, which meant she was reminded of the fact that Albus was mad at her all over again when they sat down for dinner at the Great Hall. The ceiling had been bewitched to look like a stormy sky and snowflakes floated down until they melted into nothingness several feet above their heads.

Rose had been trying very hard to get Albus's attention from the table at the other end, and she had finally succeeded, only to have been looked at coldly and then ignored. She slumped in her seat, sighing, picking at her mashed potatoes.

"Did Al just ignore you?"

Rose's head snapped up to see Dominique slip in beside her. The blonde gave her a knowing smile and propped her elbow on the table, turning to give Rose her full attention. "Well?"

Knowing it wasn't half as easy to distract Dominique like she had with Fred and James, Rose sighed and started, "I—it's my fault, really. It's just that I can't stand these horrible rumours of us being Scorpius Malfoy's bodyguards and it really gets to me when people stare at us and start to whisper!" she looked up from her plate, brown eyes blazing with anger, "and not to mention Al hangs out with that—that Malfoy boy all the time and I really really hate it! He's already been sorted into Slytherin and spends most of his time with that boy anyway, without them being joined at the hip! I can barely even talk to him without Malfoy looking over his shoulder with that snobby expression of his!"

Rose huffed, stabbing her potato and stuffing it into her mouth. Beside her, Dominique only laughed and ruffled the girl's hair – earning her a glare – and simply said, "Have you told Al all this?"

Rose looked at her wide-eyed, as though she had sprouted another head and Dominique giggled, pinching Rose's cheek. "You should probably tell him before this gets out of hand."

"What should I say?! That I absolutely detest his best mate and am mad at him for being sorted into Slytherin and not Gryffindor?"

Dominique shrugged and Rose whined, "He'll hate me!"

"It's either that or learning to deal with Malfoy being everywhere Al is."

Rose wasn't sure which was worse; having her favorite cousin hate her for being petty or having to pretend like she was actually the person in those horrible rumours that she despised.

"Oh," she moaned, shoveling the rest of the food into her mouth.

Christmas couldn't come soon enough.

But it did, and with it came the annual stay at the Burrow. And just like every year before, Rose shared her Uncle Percy's previous room with her cousins Lucy, Lily, and Roxanne; Victoire, Dominique and Molly shared her Aunt Ginny's room on the floor below; James, Albus, Fred, Louis and Hugo shared Uncles Fred and George's room opposite Percy's; and their parents shifted around in the remaining rooms and the living room, using simple Extension charms when it got too crowded.

But even though with the entire family under one roof it was unbelievably catastrophic and absolutely cacophonic, it was still home, and Rose loved every bit of it.

"Rosie! Al! Welcome home! How was your first time at school?"

Rose giggled as Hermione engulfed her and Albus in a bone-crushing hug. She brushed away her mother's wild curls and grinned up at her.

"You already know! I've been writing to you three times a week!"

"Yeah, Aunt Hermione, anymore letters and there won't be a single owl left that'll be willing to deliver them."

Hermione smacked Albus playfully on the head and before Rose could react, she was hugged tightly from behind, the air forced out of her.

"Rosie! It's so good to see you again!"

"Dad—can't—breathe—"

"Sorry, love," Ron grinned fondly down at his daughter and she smiled back at him.

"Oh Goodness me! I almost forget how crowded it gets during Christmas!"

"Please, mum, that's the worst lie I've heard all day!"

"George, help your father and brothers set up the tables outside!"

George Weasley rolled his eyes and walked past Rose, winking down at her. "Your grandmum's still just as bossy as she was back in the day."

"I may be old, but I'm not deaf!"

There was a lot of laughter as Molly Weasley huffed and waved her ladle at a hastily retreating George.

"You don't listen to him, dear," she told Rose when the latter went up to her to help. Rose grinned and said, "Of course not!" before skipping outside to join her cousins.

"Perfect timing, Rosie! You can be on Al's team!" James yelled at Rose and disappeared into the orchard behind the Burrow.

"Why does he get to choose who's on my team?!"

"Oh hush, Al, Rose is always on our team."

Albus shot Dominique a glare and walked away, muttering. Rose smiled at her cousin gratefully, before running upto Albus.

"Al!" Albus didn't pause or even slow down, so Rose grabbed him and forced him to stop. "Listen, Al—"

"I don't want to hear it."

Rose gave him an extremely hurt look and he rolled his eyes, sighing. "I know you don't like Scorpius and I know you hate all those rumours going around, but we're both affected by it as well, if not as much as you."

Rose's eyes widened, the truth of what Albus was saying hitting her hard. Albus continued, without noticing her expression, "But can you atleast _try_ to pretend you like him? For my sake?"

"I can!"

Albus opened his mouth to continue his tirade, but paused, suddenly realizing what Rose had said. "You can?"

Rose nodded hurriedly, wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck. "I can. I'll try, promise. So.. so please don't be mad at me anymore."

She gave Albus a pitiable look and he laughed, hugging her briefly before grinning at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He then turned on his heel and ran through the line of bushes surrounding the orchard and Rose followed, her heart light.

"Looks like everything's alright with you two."

Rose jumped, glancing around and looking suspiciously at her cousin. "Dom! Are you spying on me?"

Dominique snorted and said, "Hardly. I just wanted to make sure it was all sorted out before everyone else noticed."

Rose grinned at the blonde and she grinned back. "Come on, then. Or they'll start without us!"

Rose was glad Albus was no longer mad at her and swore to herself that she would atleast try to be civil around Scorpius if not friendly.

* * *

"Scoot over, will you?"

Rose had half a mind to ignore the extremely annoying voice, but remembering her promise with Albus, obediently moved an inch, bending her head so her bushy hair fanned out around her book, blocking everything from view. She had completely intended to ignore him, but when she didn't feel the warmth of another body beside her, she glanced to the side and to her utter annoyance saw that Scorpius was sitting on the bench beside hers, a good two meters between them. She felt her head begin to throb from all the suppressed rage and clenched her eyes shut, trying to calm herself down.

"Hello."

Her cousin's voice ebbed away some of the irritation, but she still snapped her head up and hissed, "You're late!"

Albus looked at her curiously, before rummaging in his bag for his parchment and quill. "No I'm not. Professor Milnes isn't even here yet."

And just at that moment, Dorothy Milnes, the Transfiguration teacher who had replaced McGonagall when she became headmistress, bustled into the class, her robes swishing behind her.

She stopped at her desk and did a half turn, eyeing the students down her thin, straight nose.

"I can't believe she actually does that to imitate McGonagall," Albus whispered jokingly to Rose.

"Shhh!"

Milnes looked toward them sharply and they both shrunk in their seats. Milnes told them to turn to the chapter on Animagi that she had been doing and began her lecture, pausing every now and then to tell them to make a note of whatever she was saying.

Soon the bell was ringing and Rose stood up, stuffed her books in her bag and rushed out of class.

"Rose!"

Rose paused at the sound of Albus's voice, suddenly remembering he had been beside her. He reached her and they began walking toward the Great Hall for lunch before heading to their respective common rooms and preparing for the afternoon classes.

Rose scowled down at her shoes and Albus sighed beside her. "What did he do now?"

"Oh, nothing unusual. Just behaving like the enormous prat he is."

"Really, first you and now him. Why can't my two best friends get along?"

"What _I_ would like to know is _why_ you're still friends with that horrible boy even after he ignored you throughout Christmas for no apparent reason."

When Albus didn't answer, Rose raised her head and regarded him with impatience. "Well?"

"He said he was sorry and gave me a present," Albus mumbled and Rose felt her face grow hot from anger. She stopped abruptly and stomped her foot, rounding on him angrily.

"Albus Severus Potter," she started, and Albus groaned, already anticipating the lecture to come.

"I thought you'd be in the Great Hall already, what are you doing here?"

Rose spun around and stuck a finger in Scorpius' chest. "You! You horrible, nasty, selfish, arrogant brat!"

Scorpius' merely regarded Rose with raised eyebrows, but from the way his mouth pressed together in a thin line, she could tell he was just as annoyed with her as she was with him.

"Rose please," Albus whined, grabbing her by the elbow and steering her toward the hall.

"I'll see you in the Common Room, Scorpius," he called over his shoulder.

Rose was still fuming as Albus sat down beside her at the Gryffindor table. He opened his mouth to talk to her about Scorpius, but just then the rest of the Potter-Weasley clan trooped in and surrounded them.

"So Al's sitting on this side today, then?"

"You make it sound like he's crossing into enemy territory, James."

"My God, woman, what rubbish are you saying in front of the enemy!"

Both Victoire and Albus rolled their eyes at James and began to engage in small talk between themselves.

"How was Transfiguration, Rosie?"

Rose looked up from stuffing her face with food, at a smiling Louis. She swallowed and nodded, smiling back half-heartedly. "Fine."

Louis looked as if he expected her to continue, but was conveniently distracted by a bickering Fred and Dominique and Rose turned back to glare at her pudding.

All too soon, the day came to an end, as did the week and the month. Exams crept up on the unsuspecting students and Rose watched as Victoire and Dominique locked themselves up inside the Common Room, cramming for N.E.W.T.S and O.W.L.S until the very last minute.

Rose wasn't half as worried, since she'd gotten a whole lot of studying done throughout the year, but she continued to sit with Albus and Scorpius in the library, helping her cousin catch up with his studying.

It turned out – much to Rose's chagrin – that she and Scorpius were a lot alike when it came down to academics. Both were over-achievers and exceptionally smart, owing to their stupendous gene pool. All through the year the two vied to be the top of their class and every time, it would turn out that if Rose topped in one subject, Scorpius would top in another.

This increased their mutual dislike even more, and had gotten to such an extent that they had begun to completely ignore the other's existence. They would walk on either side of Albus, sit on either side of Albus and talk to only Albus – who acted as a mediator between the two, if ever necessary.

The only time they actually got along was when they were helping Albus study. And this only worked because they had split the subjects between them to help with whatever they were best at. Rose chose Charms, Transfiguration and History of Magic; while Scorpius chose Astronomy, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions. They decided that they would help with Herbology only when asked, since that was Albus' best subject.

Soon the exams were upon them and the halls were filled with students muttering to themselves and trying to calm each other down. The two weeks of exams was a nightmare for the Fifth and Seventh year students, and Dominique and Victoire had almost completely lost it by the time their last exam ended.

"It's done!" Dominique screeched, trying to tie up her extremely frizzy hair and make it look tamer. Victoire was mumbling to herself, her brows furrowed, and looked like she was one minute away from being sick. James, Fred and Louis were better off, but were paler and quieter in comparison. Even Rose hadn't any strength left to argue with Scorpius or insult him.

She still detested him, of course, but the animosity had reduced from being a palpable aura that surrounded her at the sight of him, to a silent, passive dislike that she kept to herself. But of course, Albus seemed ton have taken the fact that they weren't clawing each other's eyes out as a sign to bring Scorpius to their compartment on their journey home, which immediately led to raucous shouting and screaming and Victoire had to march down and bodily sit all of them in their seats and scream at them to behave, till they actually did.

It only lasted so long though, because as soon as Victoire was gone, James made a snide remark about Scorpius's background and the shouting and arguing began all over again all the way until the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross Station.

"Will you write to me over summer?"

Albus continued to walk toward his parents without glancing at Scorpius, so he missed the way the blond's face fell.

"I'll try," Scorpius mumbled and Albus frowned, still not looking at the other.

When they were a few metres away, Albus paused, nodded toward Scorpius with a monotonous, "See you later, then," and marched right into the waiting arms of his parents.

Scorpius eyed him for a moment and then turned, to make his way to his own parents, when he was suddenly pushed back and he yelped, staring at a fuming Rose wide-eyed. He felt his face colour and he hissed at her. "What's your problem, Weasley."

"You are, Malfoy. If you're not going to write to Al, then tell him that to his face so he doesn't constantly stare out the window with a heartbroken expression!"

Scorpius' eyes widened minimally and he looked away, mumbling something that sounded vaguely like 'I would if I could'.

Rose sighed and shook her head. She could see her dad eyeing Scorpius suspiciously and nodded curtly at him before pushing past with a clipped, "See you next year, Malfoy."

Rose hadn't expected him to reply, so when he said, "You too, Weasley," she glanced over her shoulder and saw him walking away with his shoulders rigid and his head held high. She shrugged and joined the rest of her family, Scorpius Malfoy and her dislike for him at the back of her mind.

* * *

**A/n: I can't not write these little notes at the beginning and end of every chapter. It's a thing and I'm sorry if they're annoying (not really) but I do say important things in here. (sometimes)**

**So what happened when I initially wrote this was that it was followed by another one and I just had had enough of First years (I love them but really) so I just combined the two and made it one! So next chapter is going to be better, because they start Second year! Yay!**

**Getting right to the point, yes,I've made Rose a proper crybaby and well I can't help it. When I imagine Ron as a girl I just assume he'd cry all the time. Plus Hermione did cry quite a bit too. But yes, I won't make her cry anymore. This is the last chapter of her unnecessary crying. (give her a break she's only eleven.) Also I've pushed this chapter by really fast because I wanted to end First year so yeah it's extremely hurried and I'm sorry about that :/**

**Just take this as a sort of filler chapter to connect the previous and the next one. I'm not very happy with how this turned out but I can't really change it around too much, so bear with me!**

**Thank you for all the love AND GIMME MOAR**

**Love~**


	5. Some Things Never Change

**A/n: Second year had finally arrived! Things start getting more interesting from here on, because they're starting to grow up, the little precious babies :')**

**Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows! Give me more love! :')**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Some Things Never Change**

* * *

When Albus broke away from his family and began wandering through the crowd on Platform 9¾, Rose immediately followed behind him.

"Where are you going?"

Albus sighed, and quickened his pace. Rose had to jog slightly, in order to catch up, owing to the fact that Albus had shot up a couple of inches over the summer and Rose hadn't really grown as much.

"Al, wait!"

Albus only paused out of habit, but immediately walked on as soon as Rose had caught up.

"Are you looking for Malfoy?"

"And what if I am?"

Rose frowned up at her cousin's shaggy head and wondered why he even bothered with that ungrateful brat.

"You're probably wondering why I even bother with an ungrateful brat like him, aren't you."

Seeing the startled expression on Rose's face, Albus chuckled and squashed his unruly hair down. "Well, he did write once, you know."

"Once! Once out of the whole summer break! You ought to beat him up and never look at him again, not go searching for him so you can board the train together!"

"If you don't like it, feel free to go away."

Rose frowned at the snarl in Albus's voice but continued to follow him anyway.

Although Scorpius hadn't exactly promised to write over the summer, Rose was infuriated with him for not trying hard enough. Albus had religiously sent him a letter or two every week and after the first four weeks, Rose nearly lost it. She had screamed at her cousin for being so patient and trusting of someone who wasn't half as appreciative of him.

But nevertheless, Albus had continued to write to Scorpius and almost at the very end of their break, they had come home from Muggle London to find his snowy owl – Hedwig II – sitting on his table with a tiny scrap of paper tied to her foot. Albus had nearly torn the small piece of parchment in his excitement to read it. His eyes had shone as he skimmed through the six hurriedly scribbled lines. When he had looked up from the paper, he was grinning triumphantly and Rose had just sighed and walked out of the room without bothering to ask what the letter said.

After that, Albus' hopes were higher than ever, but no letter came and summer had ended. Yet, he was still looking for the Malfoy boy despite everything that had happened.

"Scorpius!"

Rose's head snapped up and immediately spotted the shocking platinum-blond head among the crowd of students. Only Scorpius Malfoy could look so regal in his normal school uniform of green and silver.

Rose watched as the blond head swiveled around at the sound of his name being called and Rose immediately noted several changes in him.

Scorpius had grown taller as well, and was the same height as Albus. His normally pale skin was almost translucent and his hair was shinier and glossier than ever. His clothes were crisp and neatly pressed and his shoes were of the same overly expensive, overly shiny leather.

When they neared him, Rose saw that Scorpius's normally hard, gun-metal grey eyes were now a glittering, shimmering silver. And Rose almost felt guilty, when she saw the way he visibly relaxed and his tight features softened into a small yet genuine smile.

He looked like he was honest-to-goodness glad that Albus had found him and had spoken to him.

"Hi Al," he said as Albus threw himself at Scorpius, thumping him on the back.

"You look good, mate," Albus said, grinning at Scorpius. Scorpius' smile grew bigger as he nodded toward Albus.

As though finally realising Rose was there, he inclined his head toward her and regarded her with polite indifference – although the smile was still in place. "Weasley."

"Malfoy." Rose nodded curtly and then spinning on her heel, walked back toward her family, her skin itching with irritation.

She reached the Weasleys just as the Hogwarts Express let out a loud hoot, signaling its departure. Immediately students and parents alike began hastening toward the gleaming train, hurriedly saying their goodbyes and sharing the final embraces and kisses before they could see their family again.

"Hi Rosie," Ron said the second she was near him, drawing her into a tight hug. Rose immediately felt the frustration seep out of her and she pulled away, grinning at her father.

"Hi daddy."

"All set?"

"All set."

"That's my girl," Ron smiled fondly, ruffling his daughter's hair.

Just then the train hooted again and Hermione looked toward them frantically. "Rose! The train's leaving, hurry up!"

Rose shot her dad a knowing smile - that Ron returned sheepishly - and she ran toward the train, hugging her mum on the way, and got on just as it started to pull away. She waved at her family, shouting her goodbyes to them with the rest of the students.

It took her a while to find the compartment her cousins had occupied, but as soon as she found it, she was greeted by the usual raucous laughter and shouts. She grinned as she slid the door shut behind her and sat next to a gagging Louis.

The older boy turned to her and said in a way of explanation, "Dom's got herself a boyfriend and they were snogging in the corridor." Rose giggled and patted his knee, knowing how horrific it must be to for Louis to see both his sisters in dark corners, doing things that weren't exactly praise worthy. Louis grinned in response and looked toward the door.

"Where's Al? Weren't the two of you together?"

Rose shrugged and distracted him by motioning toward James and Fred who were doing some sort of retarded jig in the middle of the narrow compartment.

"Here's to our life at a Vic-free Hogwarts!"

Everyone howled with laughter as the train jerked and James fell flat on his rear end, swearing profusely.

After the refreshments trolley had come and gone, Rose stood up to put on her robes. Finding it impossible to do so inside the cramped compartment, Rose shouted that she was leaving and slid the door shut behind her.

The sudden silence of the corridor was almost startling, in contrast to the extreme noise on the other side of the door. She smiled to herself and made her way to the end of the train, her body subconsciously taking her toward Albus before she even realized where she was going. By the time she did, she was standing outside the farthest compartment – the one her and Albus had first ridden in the previous year – and saw her cousin and his best mate laughing through the frosted glass.

As soon as she entered the compartment, Albus and Scorpius abruptly halted in their conversation and stared up at her. She noted with some irritation that Scorpius was already wearing his black robes over his uniform and she hid hers behind her back, turning and squashing herself in between Albus and the window. She propped her elbow on the windowsill and stared resolutely outside.

After a few moments, Albus restarted their paused conversation, like Rose hadn't just barged into their compartment, uninvited and unannounced. She listened to her cousin excitedly describing some new Quidditch moves he had tried out and Rose tuned him out, her thoughts turning to her upcoming lessons and whether she was going to get permission to read the books in the Restricted Section of the library.

Her daydream was broken by a sudden noise outside their compartment and the door slid open to reveal three rather inconspicuous looking Ravenclaws. The brunette who was at the front exclaimed in surprise as she surveyed the occupants and her eyes paused on Scorpius for a moment longer before she turned to Albus and Rose.

"Do you mind? The Gryffindors next to our compartment were being obnoxiously loud and we couldn't get any studying done."

Rose and Albus shared a knowing look and then Albus nodded at the girls, motioning to the seat opposite them.

The girl took one look at Scorpius and hesitated, as though debating whether to stay or leave, but Albus immediately stood up and sat down beside his friend, exaggeratedly gesturing to the spot he had just vacated. The brunette pursed her lips but sat down nevertheless. Her need to study must have been greater than her need to not sit in the same compartment as a Malfoy.

"Oh, I'm Briana," the girl said, smiling slightly at Rose. "And these are my friends Katelyn and Josie," she continued politely, motioning to the prim looking duo who had sat down beside her. Rose nodded again and started, "I'm—"

"Oh, that's quite alright," Briana said, waving Rose off and turning to her open text book like she didn't have a minute longer to waste on unnecessary niceties.

Rose felt her face burn and she turned away with a huff – only to look into a pair of amused silver eyes. She rose her eyebrows in irritation, nonverbally asking Scorpius what he wanted. Scorpius shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. Rose frowned at him and sat lower in her seat. The smirk overcame his attempt to seem disinterested and he flicked his eyes toward the girls sitting beside Rose and wrinkled his nose. Rose bit her lip, trying to contain a snort of laughter.

She rolled her eyes at him and he sat up straighter, squaring his shoulders and crossing his legs. He tilted his chin up and looked down his nose at Rose, his eyebrows raised in mock dissatisfaction. Rose had to clear her throat and adjust her hair so it framed her face and made it less visible to her neighbor. She then adjusted herself in her seat and mirrored Scorpius' posture, pursing her lips at him in mock disapproval. Scorpius' eyes widened and he ducked his head, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Rose grinned at his bent head and happened to glance toward her cousin.

Albus' expression was a mixture of mild annoyance at having been left out of what seemed like a fascinating exchange, and surprised amusement at seeing that Rose and Scorpius were actually behaving like normal twelve year olds instead of a bunch of squabbling puppies. Rose grinned sheepishly at him and he grinned back, his eyes glittering with mirth.

"It's quite amusing to see that you're finding something so extremely funny."

Rose whipped her head to the side, the grin falling from her face at the accusing look on Briana's.

"I'm sorry?"

"You're obviously making fun of us," Briana said, her voice high and agitated. Although Rose was the one who had spoken, the Ravenclaw's words were directed toward Scorpius and Scorpius alone. When the blond's fit finally subsided, he looked up at Briana, his face red from the effort of not laughing out loud. "I'm sorry?"

His voice broke at the end and he bit his lip, trying to desperately hold back his urge to laugh. Beside him, Albus was coughing unnecessarily, adding fuel to the fire.

But instead of just letting it go like any normal person would, Briana shut her book and stood up, looking down at Scorpius. Rose found herself standing as well, her wrist twitching toward her wand.

Scorpius seemed to have regained his common sense, because he sat up straighter and brought his hands up in surrender. "Look here, I don't know what made you think I was making fun of you—"

"Don't you dare lie to me, Malfoy!"

Rose winced at the venom with which the girl spat the last word and she watched as Scorpius' face transformed from that of a boy who was just having some fun, to that of one who was ready for abuse.

His silver eyes had once again turned hard and his expression guarded, like it had been the first time Albus and Rose had met him. His shoulders were rigid and his face was pale, his jaw set in a hard line. Rose swallowed as her eyes darted to her cousin.

Albus looked furious. His playful nature had completely disappeared and his expression was one that he wore on the rare occasions that someone had insulted Lily or Rose or said something unforgivable. It was an expression that Rose hated on him. It made his usually dancing emerald eyes bitter and hateful and his delicate features - that resembled his father's so much – twisted and ugly.

"Listen," Rose started hurriedly, moving to stand in between Briana and Scorpius. The brunette snapped her glare at Rose, as she regarded her with nothing more than the extreme irritation that someone felt toward an annoying toddler. The very look in her face caused Rose's blood to boil and she stood taller, squaring her shoulders and puffing out her chest.

"Listen," she started again, surprised at the strength of her own voice. "You lot are the ones who barged in here, if you remember. We even politely refrained from talking so we didn't disturb you. I honestly think your behavior is rather unreasonable toward the people who have been nothing but courteous to you."

Briana's face turned red and her eyes flashed as she looked down at Rose.

"Look here, little girl—"

"I think it's about time you left, don't you?"

Briana's eyes flickered to rest on Albus – who had come to stand beside Rose and she felt immense affection toward him for it – and she sneered at him, her mouth getting distorted and turning ugly.

"Of course," she spat, picking up her book and tossing her hair over her shoulder. "The last thing needed is a bunch of unwanted guests."

And then the three of them had slammed the door shut behind them and disappeared. Rose sighed deeply and flopped down where Albus was sitting.

"What is wrong with that girl?"

"She's obviously got a screw loose in that big head of hers," Albus snapped, flumping down on the seat opposite and glowering at the door.

"Oh, leave it Al. she's not worth it."

Rose jumped in surprise at the sound of Scorpius' voice beside her and fixed her wide-eyes on him. The blond only looked at her curiously, before turning back to placate his best mate.

Several minutes and packets of sweets later, Albus had finally resorted to loud mocks and taunts with a lot of swear words that both their parents would have been appalled to hear. Rose watched him with a small smile, as he attacked another packet of chips that he had flicked from James when they had entered King's Cross Station.

"Thank you."

The words were mumbled so softly, Rose could've sworn she had imagined them. But when she turned to look at Scorpius – who was staring out the window, his back to her – and saw the way the tips of his ears were pink, his trademark signature of embarrassment, Rose bit her lip to stop the ear-splitting grin that threatened to break across her face. Instead, she flopped back against the seat and opened a pack of Jelly Slugs, biting off the head of a red one.

"Don't mention it," she said to her slug and was satisfied when she saw out of the corner of her eyes, the way Scorpius' shoulders relaxed.

And Rose found herself thinking for the second time, in the same place, in almost the same kind of situation, exactly a year later, that maybe Scorpius Malfoy wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**A/n: A slightly shorter chapter and I yes, people still hate Scorpius, even though he's an absolute darling. Some drama coming soon and maybe Rose decides it's not so bad to be Scorpius's friend after all!**

**Review, favorite and follow! Stay tuned for more!**

**Love~**


	6. Not Alastor, But Moody

**A/n: What kind of school life would it be without drama? Especially the kind that stems from jealousy. I actually find it extremely amusing how girls treat each other. Very fascinating. Anywho, this is a slightly shorter chapter but it all begins here.**

**Thank you for all the favorites follows and reviews! Feel free to do so more and more and more!**

**P.s, I personally found the title of this chapter hilarious. Sorry but I had to orz**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Not Alastor, But Moody**

* * *

She took back what she thought. She absolutely despised Scorpius Malfoy.

Rose stared down at her test paper, absolutely fuming. She had done really well on a particularly difficult Transfiguration test and was mighty pleased when Professor Milnes had smiled and congratulated her. It was a privilege that a select few enjoyed from years one to seven, being congratulated and acknowledged by an otherwise stern and emotionless Professor Milnes.

And just when she was letting her accomplishment get to her head ever so slightly, there he was, with that trademark smirk of his and that hatefully superior expression on his face.

She had seen him talking to Milnes and had all but assumed he had gotten himself into trouble. She was ready to chastise him, like she always did with Albus whenever he got into trouble, considering they had been on much better terms ever since the train journey to Hogwarts.

But that was wiped clear from her mind when he walked toward her with that almighty smirk and stuck his Transfiguration paper in front of her face. Rose's stomach had dropped to her feet, when she had seen the perfect score written on top in Milnes' scratchy handwriting, but it was his superior look of jubilation that really did her in.

"Beat you again, looks like it," he had drawled at her in his usual horrid, sarcastic voice and tossed his chin in the air, regarding her like one did a foolish child, "Better luck next time, Weasley."

And then he had strutted away, that awful boy, head held high, a skip to his step, leaving an absolutely dumbfounded Rose standing all alone in the crowded corridor.

It had been exactly a week since then and Rose had grown more furious with every passing day. Every time Scorpius attempted to speak to her, she would jeer at him and walk away. She had seen the confused and hurt expression on his face one too many times, but she had been too angry to feel guilty about it. Even her cousins were getting tired of her constantly snapping at everything and bursting into tears the second someone raised their voice.

But Rose really couldn't help it. The fact that Scorpius had beaten her so completely on one of her best subjects and had every reason to look down on her was enough to drive her insane. But the fact that he had been trying to be nice to her and tiptoed around her like she was a bomb ready to explode, took her anger to a whole other level. She couldn't even so much as look at him, without spitting an insult at him or passing a snide remark about something he said.

"Rosie—"

Rose was snapped back to the present by Albus's voice. She glowered at him and jutted her chin out stubbornly.

"The nerve of him," she started and Albus sighed, laying his head on his arms on the table.

He had come to sit opposite her at the Gryffindor table after class, instead of fooling around outside with the rest of the Potter-Weasley clan. Which meant to say her irritation from the previous week had already worn the whole lot of them out and they had finally, desperately, turned to Albus.

"It's true!"

"It is not true, Rose. He just scored better than you on a bloody test!"

"He aced the bloody test! He got a perfect score!"

"So?!"

And Albus knew he had made a terrible mistake by letting his frustration get the better of him, because Rose's mouth had fallen open and she was goggling at him like he was mental.

"Did you just—"

Albus waved his hands hurriedly, standing to get up. "Look, alright, he aced the test. But that only means you're going to ace the next one, right?" he added, looking at Rose uncertainly. She beamed at him, completely unaware of the uncertainty in his voice.

"Of course," she said and he sighed, grateful.

"Alright then, I'll see you later. James and the boys promised they'd help me practice for the try-outs, so I should get going."

"Is James trying out too?"

Albus nodded, eyeing the large double doors to the Great Hall longingly.

"And what did Louis say?"

Realizing his last bit of luck had run out when he'd managed to calm Rose down, he sat back down with a resigned sigh. "Louis thinks James has a better chance at it since he tried out last year too."

Louis had been made Chaser on the Gryffindor team the previous year, when he, James and Fred had tried out for the team.

"And Fred?"

Albus shrugged, his eyes darting toward the door again. "Fred wants to be Beater and since the previous Beater had a falling out with the team's captain, he might actually have a chance. Atleast that's what Lou said," Albus finished distractedly, his hands doing that thing with his hair, which he did whenever he was nervous or frustrated. Rose sighed and shook her head at him.

"Go on then."

He looked at her wide-eyed and she just waved him off. He grinned at her, leaned over the table to hug her awkwardly and was out of sight in less than a minute. Rose watched him disappear out the door with a smile and turned back to her book.

"Why, if it isn't the little Weasley girl."

Rose froze at the sound of the familiar voice, her quill hovering over her pot of ink. She wondered for a moment if she should ignore the speaker and go on with her work, but on better judgment, she thought she might as well get it over with. So she looked up and saw Briana sneering down at her.

"Hello," she said mildly, placing her quill down and lacing her hands together on the table. She noticed Briana was alone. The lack of her two female lackeys made Rose strangely curious.

"Trying to catch up on your studies so you don't get utterly defeated by that little Malfoy boy next time, are you?"

Rose felt her face turn hot at the jibe, but she bit her tongue.

'_I'll ace the next test.'_ She told herself, reminding herself of the conversation she just had with Albus.

"But I suppose it's too much for you," Briana continued, without waiting for Rose's reply. "After all, your mother's genius is utterly wasted on you. No wonder you got Sorted into Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw."

The last comment had completely upset her firm resolution to deal with Briana politely and rationally. She stood up abruptly, upsetting her bag and banged her hands on the table, feeling the sting of pain from her palms hitting the wood so hard. She leaned forward so her curls fell over her shoulders and hissed, "In case you didn't know, my mum was a Gryffindor herself. The Sorting Hat deemed her too worthy to be sorted into Ravenclaw."

She regretted what she said the second she said it. But the way Briana swelled with anger, told her it was already too late to take it back.

"How _dare _you! You have absolutely no decency, you horrible girl—"

"I'm sorry, but _I'm_ not the one who came here and started behaving like the petty person that you are," Rose spat, cutting Briana off. The older girl's expression darkened and she mirrored Rose's posture, bending down across the table and leering at Rose.

"Oh yes, of course. Tell the Ravenclaw that she's the petty one. There's no need to be so jealous just because you weren't Sorted into the house for geniuses like us," she somehow managed to flip her long hair over her shoulder while being awkwardly bent over the table. "After all, your precious cousin got Sorted into Slytherin, didn't he?"

Rose felt the hairs on her neck rise, at the mention of Albus. She could deal with someone insulting her, but when they started abusing her family, it was a whole other thing.

"Do _not_ bring Albus into this."

"Or what, you little wench? Are you going to go and cry to your pathetic boyfriend about the horrible Ravenclaws that bullied you?" she stood up and placed a hand on her hip, regaining the self-important sneer. "Bet that Malfoy boy will take any opportunity he can to attack someone else. He must be itching to lash out at us, since he didn't get the chance on the train, thanks to a certain Miss Thinks-she-knows-it-all."

Even in her fury, Rose had the sense of mind to laugh mentally at how foolish the entire conversation was. The girl was obviously taking out her frustration on Rose for whatever reason. It was more like Rose had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, rather than anything else, considering Briana hadn't tried to even so much as look at her, when they passed each other in the corridors.

Rose honestly felt sorry for her.

From the way Briana's eyes popped and her mouth fell open, Rose realized she had voiced her thoughts out loud without meaning to. She almost apologized, but caught herself just in time. Briana opened her mouth several times but shut it moments later, making her look like a fish out of water. Finally – Rose realized with some apprehension that there were tears in the girl's eyes – she leaned forward, raised her hand and slapped Rose across the face. Hard.

Rose felt tears collect in her eyes as she remained with her head turned to the side, the sting from the slap making her skin itch. Then she slowly stood back up, smoothed her uniform and sat down, prim and proper.

Completely ignoring Briana, she picked up her quill and dipped it in the pot of ink. She dotted her I's and crossed her T's, before glancing up at the Ravenclaw with a look that said 'oh, you're still here, are you'.

Briana sniffed loudly at her, wiped her hand across her cheeks – that were now tear-stained, Rose noted in horror – and turning on her heel, ran out of the Great Hall, much like Albus had done.

Rose sighed and placed her quill back down, letting her hands rest upturned in her lap. She saw that her palms were still pink from having banged them on the table, and as she stared down at them, she was surprised to see the teardrops that splashed onto them. She inhaled through her mouth and breathed out shakily, wiping away the tears hastily before anyone saw.

Thankfully the Great Hall had cleared out even before Briana had entered, owing to the fact that the weather was perfectly pleasant and everyone was everywhere else, but there. She laughed humourlessly at herself and winced when her voice cracked. She took deep, steading breaths and willed herself to calm down.

In all her life she had never gone through what she just had. She had never done anything that needed confrontation, unlike James or Dominique. She had always been polite and courteous no matter what anybody said. Even if she had almost lost it, Albus or someone else had always been there to do the shouting and abusing.

So the entire experience with Briana had honestly just drained her of all her willpower. So much so, that she even found the fact that she had unreasonably been angry with Scorpius petty and foolish. Sure, he had behaved like an obnoxious brat, but her cousins did that too, when they wanted to show off and gloat. It really wasn't anything to be spiteful over.

A fresh wave of tears flowed down her face as she remembered Briana's comment about her not being intelligent enough, but she sniffled and forced herself to stop crying. She refused to cry for something so foolish. It didn't matter to her that she hadn't been Sorted into Ravenclaw, she honestly had never even wanted to be, but she had never once thought it was because she wasn't smart enough or intelligent enough, as the reason.

Rose was so lost in her own miserable thoughts, that she jumped three feet in the air when she felt someone's fingers brush against her cheek. She yelped and turned to look up into worried silver eyes, as Scorpius looked down at her, concern clear on her face.

"Rose? Are you alright?"

Her breath unintentionally caught in her throat, at the sound of her name coming from Scorpius's mouth. She had always been 'Weasley' to him, so no one could actually blame her for being surprised that he had referred to her by her first name. When she didn't answer, he motioned over his shoulder and said, "I just saw that Ravenclaw Fourth year that had been in our compartment on the train run off crying. Did she say something to you?"

Under normal circumstances, people would have taken one look at Briana and suspected that Rose had said or done something to upset her so greatly. But the fact that Scorpius had thought Rose had been the victim, made her feel something akin to guilt and foolishness, for the way she had behaved toward him. She shook her head and turned back to stare at her palms, not bothering to hide the soft sobs that escaped her lips.

"Rose…" Scorpius sounder extremely uncertain and wary. She was sure he didn't know what to do, especially with the way she had behaved toward him lately. He probably thought she was still angry with him or something.

"Weasley—"

Rose snapped her head up immediately, looking at him angrily.

"Wh-What—"

"Why'd you call me Weasley when you just called me Rose?"

Scorpius looked absolutely taken aback by her question and the accusing tone of her voice.

"I didn't—I mean, I thought—"

And she found herself giggling at the utterly bewildered look on his face. He must really think she was mental, with the constant mood swings she was having. She smiled up at him, wiping the last of her tears on her sleeve.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it Mal—Scorpius," she corrected herself at the last minute, saying his name softly. His eyes widened and he grinned down at her, a bright and genuine smile, as he sat down next to her and turned so he was facing her.

"So tell me all about that girl…"

* * *

**A/n: Both Ron and Hermione are extremely moody people, so imagine what their daughter would be like. Well for one, I definitely would say Rose's temper is the scariest in the next gen. Maybe even on par or more than Victoire's. **

**Yes, they finally call each other by name. It's too cute and I just couldn't help myself.**

**Next chapter is Christmas at Hogwarts! I wonder what Scorpius will give Rose~ -laughs maniacally-**

**Review follow and favorite and spread the love!**

**See you next chapter~**

**Love~**


	7. A Charming Christmas

**A/n: This is one of my favorite chapters and you'll know why, by the end of it.**

**And I just realised it's been a year and a half since I started publishing my stories on FFnet and I am so proud! Yay me! I was editing one of my older stories to repost and realized how far I'd come. -moment of silence-**

**Anywho! Here's the promised Christmas at Hogwarts!**

**Thank you for all the love and you know the drill! Review, favorite and follow! Your opinions always matter~**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**A Charming Christmas**

* * *

After spring came autumn, closely followed by the monsoon, and finally winter set in. Although initially the plan had been to go back to the Burrow as always for Christmas, that year it had been decided that there would be no Christmas at the Burrow.

A week before Christmas, all the Potter and Weasley children got owls from their respective parents saying that, for the first time since the War, there was going to be no Christmas family get-together at the Burrow. Of course, this was accompanied by horrified gasps and mock fainting spells, but the letters contained several viable reasons as to why Christmas in the Burrow was impossible.

First of all, Percy had some big Ministry business trip to South Africa coming up right before Christmas. It was a known fact that Percy had been working hard all year round to make sure the trip took place. Rose vaguely remembered something about International cooperation and establishing a stable link between the two countries' Ministries of Magic, and it was decided way before that Percy would be going on the several months long trip. What they hadn't expected, was that Percy had decided to take his wife Audrey and his daughters Molly and Lucy along to spend Christmas with him in South Africa, much to Molly's glee. ('Mum absolutely refused to let dad spend Christmas all alone, see, and forced him to let us spend the week up till New Year's with him').

Secondly, Charlie apparently had to go on some expedition to the Himalayas in order to investigate Dragon sightings. He had left immediately in mid-November, when he had got the news and Molly had just received an owl saying he wouldn't be back until late March because they had found a nest and were looking for others.

Thirdly, Victoire had apparently suddenly declared that she and Teddy were going to get engaged and move to France. That of course, caused a great uproar in the family and Bill had nearly hexed Teddy to next May, when he had tried to elope with Victoire. Finally though, Fleur had agreed that they could live in France only if her and Bill deemed them ready for it. So apparently Victoire and Teddy were preparing some big Christmas party of sorts to show her parents that they were all set to move out and live on their own, much to Dominique and Louis' horror. ('She's only eighteen! What in the world is that girl thinking?' and 'If Teddy does anything to her, I swear on Merlin I'll—').

If the above reasons weren't enough already, Arthur and Ron were down with a violent case of the Flu, and Hermione had absolutely forbid Rose to come home. Apparently Hugo was staying at the Potter's until their dad and grandpa got better.

"This is swell!"

All eyes turned to stare at James as he grinned around at them. "Come on! Mol gets to go to Cape Town, Lou and Dom get to go to Paris and the rest of us get to stay here!"

"And we get to practice Quidditch," Fred piped in, joining in with James to whoop loudly and bump fists. Everyone just shook their heads at them and turned to discuss the latest turn of events.

"Ignoring the Quidditch idiots," Dominique started, rolling her eyes at her cousins, "What are you and Al going to do, Rosie?"

"We could spend Christmas at Malfoy Man—"

"_Absolutely not!" _was the combined cry of disapproval and Albus sat back, looking scathed, the others sharing knowing looks.

"_Besides_ spending Christmas in some God-awful bungalow, ('Hey!') what are you going to do?"

Rose shrugged, licking the jelly from her fork. "I've never spent Christmas away from home, especially not anywhere other than the Burrow, so this should be interesting."

Dominique rolled her eyes and Louis chuckled, ruffling the younger girl's hair. "Trust our Rosie to come up with a diplomatic solution to the problem."

Rose eyed Louis from under his hand. "What problem?"

He chuckled some more, ruffling her hair till it looked like a fur ball on top of her head and then turned his attention to his sister.

Dominique was moaning and making exaggerated motions of sorrow, as she fake-sobbed into Molly's shoulder – who was laughing and patting her cousin's head – and lamented about how she wouldn't see her boyfriend for a full two weeks. Louis rolled his eyes at Rose and turned to assist Molly in placating his melodramatic sister.

"Do you really think it would be that bad?"

Rose regarded Albus for a moment, and said around the fork in her mouth, "Yes."

Albus groaned and took his head in his hands.

"Why so much drama?"

The two cousins looked up to see an amused Scorpius slink up to them and insert himself between Rose and Albus. He smirked at Rose and poked Albus's head. She finally pulled the fork out of her mouth and waved it at him.

"Al wants to spend Christmas with your folks."

The way Scorpius' eyes widened and the way he drew away from Albus, casting him a look of horror, confirmed Rose's suspicions that Albus had selfishly decided to spend Christmas at Malfoy Manor.

"We can't?" Albus almost whined, clutching at Scorpius – who pulled away with a look of disgust, as Albus hadn't washed his hands after eating – and sat sulking when Scorpius simply shook his head.

"I don't think—" Scorpius paused abruptly, and Rose noticed the way he became paler and the way his lips pressed together in a thin line. "I haven't exactly told my parents—"

Albus looked up at that, his eyes round with betrayal. "You what?"

Scorpius looked at his hands and Rose felt sorry for the boy.

They were finally on good terms again and now that Rose wasn't spending all her time around Scorpius ignoring him or despising him, she found that they were actually a lot alike and shared a lot of similar interests.

And they hadn't reverted back to calling each other by their last names either. Although Rose rarely called Scorpius by his first name, being too embarrassed to say it, she chose to either physically get his attention or simply turn toward him whenever she was speaking so he would know she was talking to him. Scorpius called Rose by her name more often, but not as much, since there wasn't exactly a need to constantly call out her name. Remembering the time with Briana, Rose lay down her fork and decided to come to Scorpius' rescue.

"Al, don't you think you're being unfair to Scorpius by selfishly demanding he take us home without even talking to him about it first?"

"But he hasn't even told his parents!"

"I told my mum," Scorpius said hastily, finally looking at a fuming Albus. "And I think my dad knows too, since he saw us together at the station."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Albus Severus, stop it."

Albus scowled at Rose for a moment, before standing up and stalking away. Scorpius watched him go with a conflicted expression and Rose sighed.

"Here." He turned around and she stuffed his mouth with the last bit of jelly from her bowl. He swallowed, surprised, and she grinned at him. "You know how he is. Don't let it get to you."

Scorpius watched her for a moment and then smiled awkwardly. "No.. well.. I actually came here to say I'll be staying here for Christmas as well."

Rose paused mid chew and looked at him. He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "My parents are going to Italy to visit my grandparents."

Rose vaguely remembered Albus telling her something about Scorpius's grandparents going on a World Tour that would last several years.

"That's nice. We can all do something together then."

And then he finally smiled at her. That rare, genuine smile that Rose only saw once or twice till date, replaced his trademark smirk and lit up his face so that his boyish features became soft and warm, unlike he usual stoic, hard jawed expression.

She smiled back shyly at him and he stood up, looking toward the double doors. "I better go tell him before he blows another fuse."

"You better," Rose nodded. Scorpius shot her a grateful grin and jogged away, probably toward the Slytherin Dungeons.

"You don't seem to dislike him one bit."

Rose turned slowly back to her bowl of jelly, not looking up at what she knew was a curious expression on Dominique's face.

"He's not half as bad as I thought. He's still an awful prat and thinks he's more superior than the rest of us, but he's not all bad."

She could feel the smile in Dominique's next sentence. "Well, good for you!" she leaned closer to Rose, making the younger girl look up curiously. "But make sure you don't get too close. He may be nice and all, but there's still his dad," Rose opened her mouth to tell Dominique off for bringing Draco Malfoy into the conversation, but Dominique pointed a finger at her and said firmly, "And yours too."

Rose pursed her lips, realising her father was probably going to take her friendship with Scorpius Malfoy much worse than the rest of her family. She frowned at her bowl thoughtfully, chewing the fork in her mouth.

This Christmas was definitely going to be different.

* * *

"And, done!"

Rose sat back to study her handiwork. Nodding in approval, she clapped her hands and turned to go report to Albus and Scorpius.

Since barely any Slytherins had stayed back that year, Albus had offered to sneak Rose into their Common Room. Rose had been utterly horrified at the thought of 'breaking and entering', as she put it in muggle terms, but Albus had waved her off and told her she could come in under his dad's invisibility cloak if she was that scared about entering.

"Where in the world did you get Uncle Harry's cloak from?" Rose had whispered urgently to Albus, as she had slipped it on, wondering if her cousin had pinched it without his father's knowledge. But Albus swore his dad had given it to him before they had left for school, under strict oath that he wouldn't get himself into too much trouble because if it, and asked Rose to keep it a secret from their cousins and siblings – especially James – because then they'd be asking him for it all the time.

"Why didn't he give it to James, then?" she had continued to pester him, and he replied in annoyance that since James already had the Marauder's Map, it was only fair that he got the cloak.

Several days of constant persuasion, and Rose had finally decided to sneak in on Christmas Eve.

"Oh, what if I got caught," she had constantly moaned, but gone nonetheless.

Now, she had finished adding several of her own finishing touches to the miniature Christmas tree beside the fireplace in the Slytherin Common Room and was satisfied to see Scorpius and Albus' delighted faces.

"It's brilliant, Rosie!"

"It is, isn't it," she beamed, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Scorpius grinned at her, biting down on a candy cane.

"You reckon James will notice if you don't go back to the dorm tonight?"

Rose stared at the flickering green flames and bit her lip. She was sure he would notice, since there were barely any Gryffindors staying back that year, and she wasn't entirely sure if she should spend a night in Slytherin Dungeon.

"I dunno…"

"Oh come on, Rose, it's only one night!"

"But where will I sleep? You can't possibly expect me to sneak into the girls' dormitory?"

Albus goggled at her. "Of course not, are you daft? We're staying up all night! What kind of idiots sleep on Christmas Eve!"

"The normal kind," Rose muttered under her breath, turning a violent shade of red.

But even so, the trio had fallen asleep beside the fire – Rose luckily hidden under the invisibility cloak, since she had felt cold – and awoke to the sound of people chattering.

"Oi, Potter, Malfoy, what in the world are you two doing, sleeping out here in the cold?"

Albus and Scorpius glanced at the spot where Rose was supposed to be and made up some feeble excuse of having fallen asleep while playing Exploding Snap.

The Fourth years had left, and Rose had immediately bolted out behind them. The two boys – after retrieving their presents from their room, Albus wearing his green Weasley jumper with a large silver A on the front – found her in the Great Hall, staring at the ceiling.

"Happy Christmas!" she greeted them jovially, as they came to sit beside her at the Gryffindor table.

"Happy Christmas," the boys chorused, Scorpius eyeing Albus's green jumper and then Rose's navy blue one with a large red R on the front. Catching him looking, Rose explained with pride, "Gran makes one for each of us every year. It's a Weasley family tradition."

"And I'm a Weasley by extension, of course," Albus said, as if to confirm that he indeed was part of the family and didn't just happen to get a sweater. "Where are James and Fred?"

"They were just here, but they ran off with a bunch of giggling Hufflepuffs to share a butter beer or two in Hogsmeade," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Here," Rose said, handing both boys a present each. "I meant to leave it under the tree in the Common Room, but I didn't want anyone getting suspicious, so I brought them here."

Albus tore his open immediately, rattling the black box inside. "What is it?" he asked Rose excitedly and she grinned. "Remember that promise I made you some time ago?"

Albus' mouth fell open, his eyes growing wide. "No way!" he hurriedly ripped the box open, his eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets. "Is this real?!"

"It's the real deal, all right. Dad had to pull a few – several, actually – strings to get it, so it's from him too. Make sure you send him a thank you letter."

"I will! Right now!"

And Albus ran out of the hall, completely forgetting his breakfast. Scorpius looked at Rose with intense curiosity. "What in Merlin's name did you get him? He wasn't even that excited when we snuck you into the Common Room."

Rose giggled and motioned toward the similar looking present in Scorpius's hands. "Open it?"

He did, and he reacted in much the same way Albus had, his hands shivering slightly. "Is this…?"

"Real? Yeah. I just told Al so, didn't I."

Scorpius looked at Rose for a full minute with shimmering silver eyes, then leaning forward, wrapping his arms around her in an awkward hug.

"Thank you," he breathed and she smiled, her cheeks colouring.

"You like it then? I wasn't really sure, but Al said you were a fan and dad got an extra, so…"

"It's absolutely brilliant, Rose, thank you," Scorpius said, ripping off the transparent wrapping and pulling out a miniature broomstick. The second he laid it on his palm, it floated up a couple of inches and zoomed around, hovering over Rose's shoulder. She grabbed it with a laugh and put it back in its box. "Be careful with it, though. It can zoom off if you aren't careful."

"A miniature replica of Viktor Krum's broomstick, made from his original broomstick that won the 427th Quidditch World Cup. There are only fifty of them in the whole world, and I have one…" Rose almost snorted at the awe in Scorpius' voice, but she just smiled at him instead and said,

"Krum had promised to send Uncle Harry and mum and dad two of the replicas as a mark of friendship, and they're at home, but dad still managed to get these off some bloke from Bulgaria who was caught smuggling goods at the border, who apparently had stolen them. When the Ministry was returning the stolen property back to Krum, dad asked if he could have them instead, and well of course Krum agreed, considering dad had caught the fellow and everything," Rose explained briefly, watching Scorpius stare at the miniature model with a revered expression.

"Oh," he suddenly said, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a small, neatly wrapped present. "For you," he said, tossing it to Rose.

She caught it deftly and glanced at him for approval before carefully opening up the present.

She gasped at the thin silver bracelet in the small box, surrounded by fake snowflakes. She gingerly picked it up, running her thumb gently along the cool surface and examining the single charm that hung from it. Her eyes widened as she looked at it and then looked up at Scorpius for confirmation. "Is this a—"

"Rose, yeah," he grinned at her. "It's a charm bracelet that's apparently all the rage these days; I heard mum gushing on and on about it when I was home. And when I saw this one with the rose, it reminded me of you and…" he trailed off awkwardly, ducking his head in embarrassment. Rose's eyes widened at the implications of what he had said. Back then, she had still detested him with every fibre of her being and she thought it had been mutual. But looking at the bracelet, she suddenly felt a rush of guilt and opened her mouth to tell Scorpius she couldn't accept it, but he beat her to it.

"Keep it. I got it for you. I won't have any use for it if you returned it to me. Besides, you can expect nothing more than a single charm from me every year, if that'll make you feel better." He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling, and she nodded, shyly.

"Thank you. It's beautiful."

Scorpius' shoulders seemed to sag in relief and he stood up, picking a muffin off the platter in front of them. "Reckon Al would've sent the owl off by now?"

Rose tilted her head and said, "Let's go make sure he did, shall we?"

And the two walked out of the Great Hall, enjoying a happy, carefree conversation about their plans for the day, something Rose would have never anticipated she would do with Scorpius Malfoy.

* * *

**A/n: If you're curious, yes, Scorpius does hold true to his promise and gives Rose a tiny silver charm for her charm bracelet every year. He makes them himself and each charm represents one moment with Rose in that year that Scorpius found memorable. I think the whole idea of it is just too sweet and what can I say, I may be an extreme sadist, but I'm also an extreme romantic.**

**If you want to know what charms he gives her in the coming years, you'll find out eventually~ Until then read on, review on, follow and favorite on, and spread the love!**

**It's all about the love~**

**See you next Scorpius and Rose time!**


	8. Summer Disaster At The Burrow

**A/n: Is this a late update? I dunno orz... Anyway thank you again for all the lovely reviews, favorites and follows!**

**This is the end of their Second year and the beginning of their Third, so yes BE EXCITEDDDDD**

**Everything starts from here! **

**Don't forget to review, favorite and follow and spread the love~~**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Summer Disaster At The Burrow**

* * *

It was finally decided that since the traditional Christmas at the Burrow had been called off, they would spend the last two weeks of summer there instead. Since Hermione had wanted to help Molly get the house ready for everyone, Rose had tagged along, offering to help. The third day before everyone else arrived, Ginny had dropped in, accompanied by Albus and Lily.

Lily immediately made a beeline for Rose, her eyes shining with the familiar gleam that she got whenever she had found out something scandalous.

"Psst," she whispered to Rose, who was pointedly ignoring her for the tumblers she was wiping.

"Hm?"

"Did Al tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"He invited that Malfoy boy over to spend the week before school starts with us!"

Rose looked up with such force, she nearly dropped the glass in her hands. She saw the satisfied smile on Lily's face, but her mind was reeling with worry. "And Uncle Harry's OK with that?"

Lily shrugged. "Why not? Dad doesn't really hate the Malfoys or anything. I remember him telling James that it's one of those things that seem extremely trivial after the War."

Rose stared down at the glass in her hands without actually seeing it. "Do my parents know?"

When Lily didn't reply immediately, Rose looked up to see her make a face. "Dad told Aunt Hermione and got her to promise to tell Uncle Ron, but from the looks of it, I don't think she's come around to it yet."

_Mum…_ Rose groaned. Trust her mother to put off something so important until the very last minute. She was sure Hermione was under the delusion that Ron would somehow miraculously accept Scorpius Malfoy's presence in their home.

Just as Lily piped up about some other piece of gossip, Albus pushed past her, motioning to Rose urgently. She followed him outside, drying her hands on her skirt.

"So you've heard, then."

"What brought this on, Al? You know you can't just make these decisions on your own—"

"What, I have to ask your permission to invite my best mate home, now?" Albus's eyes flashed and Rose frowned at him in frustration.

"I would have absolutely no problem if Scorpius was staying at your house! But this is the Burrow, Al! Everyone's going to be here! And you know how dad feels about Scorpius's dad—"

"_My_ dad didn't think very much of it," Albus countered indignantly and Rose felt her face heating up.

"Well unfortunately for you, _my_ dad does have a problem."

"I thought your mum was going to sort things out with him—"

"Yes, well, she hasn't, all right? Mum's under the false impression that if she simply goes with the flow of things and tells dad at the very last moment and instructs him to behave, dad is just going to be completely proper about it."

"Well, isn't he?"

"Al!"

"I thought you liked Scorpius."

Rose stared at her cousin open-mouthed, unable to comprehend why Albus was being so thick. "This isn't about _me_ liking Scorpius, Al! This is about everyone else trying not to hex his ears off when they think no one's looking!"

Albus got an affronted look on his face and Rose sighed, rubbing her palms against her face tiredly. "Fine. Either way, we're just going to have to hope for the best. Now excuse me, while I go and tell my mother that she's being a completely delusional idiot."

* * *

**Almost a week later.**

Rose paced back and forth outside the kitchen's backdoor, her hands folded and her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Rosie? What was so important that you couldn't let me finish my conversation with your uncles—"

"Daddy," Rose spun around to face Ron, her hands fisted by her side. Ron looked at his daughter evenly and then nodding, sat down on the step.

"Alright then, what's this about?"

"Did mum tell you?"

"Tell me what?" he frowned up at her and Rose could see him drawing to several unnecessarily dangerous conclusions. Rose took a deep breath and decided that if her mother was going to be adamant about not doing anything, she was just going to have to take things into her own hands.

"Tell you that Scorpius Malfoy is going to be spending the rest of the summer with us, starting today."

The way Ron's brows drew into a thoughtful frown, Rose guessed that either her mother had gotten around to telling him, or her Uncle Harry had done so, which was most likely, knowing Hermione would be too much of a coward to handle Ron's fit of outrage. Her father sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly, nodding with resignation.

"Yeah, your uncle was just mentioning something about Al's mate staying over. I figured it was the Malfoy boy, since you told us how close they were."

"And you're okay with that?"

Ron raised his head slowly and regarded her with a strained expression. He finally smiled crookedly and shrugged, sighing. "If it was you who had invited him over, I would have had more than something to say, but since it's Al, and Harry's OK with it… It's not really any of my business, now is it?"

Rose let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and nodded enthusiastically. "He's a good boy, he really is. I know you hate his dad and think he's an almighty prat, but Scorpius really isn't so bad."

Ron squinted up at her and then stood up, huffing. He dusted his pants and turned to go back inside, eyeing his daughter one last time and saying in a low voice, "Don't get too friendly with him, Rosie."

Rose watched him go and swallowed. She didn't realize it would be that difficult for her father to accept Scorpius. She knew it wouldn't be easy, of course, but the way he seemed so resigned to his fate… Rose knew Ron was only accepting this because he had somehow convinced himself that Scorpius was Albus's friend and not hers.

"Rose? Ah, there you are! Come inside darling, Al's friend is just about to arrive." Rose watched her grandmother wobble away and followed, her posture strained. When she neared the stairs, Molly waved her hands toward them. "He won't be flooing directly in through the main fire place, apparently. He's coming in through the one in Bill's old room."

Rose made to climb up, but Molly grabbed her by the elbow and leaning close, said, "I hear it's Draco Malfoy's son? Scorpius, is it?"

Rose nodded. Molly's jaw set firmly and nodding to herself, bustled away, muttering under her breath. Rose sighed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Just as she reached the landing, she heard the whoosh of the fireplace and entered the room to see Scorpius step out, hunched over and covered in soot. (Albus was nowhere in sight.) He scrunched up his nose as he dusted himself and Rose laughed. He looked up at her, a sudden smile appearing on his face, and he spread his arms out. Without even having to think about it, Rose stepped into his embrace, feeling his warmth envelop her.

"Hi Rose," he murmured in her ear and she whispered back shyly, "Hi Scorpius."

"Al, is he here yet—"

Rose abruptly pulled away as Harry walked in. She had hoped he hadn't seen them, but from the way he paused at the door, glanced between the two of them and then reset his features into a smile, she knew he had.

"Hullo! You must be Scorpius—"

"Scorpius!"

Albus came barreling past his father and ran straight into the blond, both of them laughing as they tumbled from the force of it. "Hi Al," Scorpius said, peeling away from the other boy. Albus's jubilant grin served to cheer Rose up exponentially, and she started to think maybe things wouldn't go horribly wrong. Behind them, her uncle was smiling patiently.

"Al, you wouldn't mind introducing your friend before whisking him away, would you?"

"Oh yeah! Dad, this is my best mate Scorpius, and Scorpius, this is dad," Albus said, already tugging the other boy toward the door. Harry smiled and nodded as Scorpius passed, patting him kindly on the shoulder.

"Glad to have you here, son."

"Thank you sir."

Rose would have normally laughed at how nervous Scorpius sounded if it were any other normal situation, but being how it was, she ducked her head and tried to walk away – unsuccessfully.

"Rose, May I have a word with you?"

From the extremely formal and polite way in which Harry had framed the question, Rose prepared herself for the worst. "Yes, Uncle Harry?"

He watched her with a level expression and then shook his head slightly. "Al has told me a lot about Scorpius, and Ginny and I honestly don't have any problems with him… But from your letters from the last two years, Ron told me you thought he was just as much of a prat as his father was."

"I was mistaken," Rose said hurriedly, but Harry raised a hand and smiled kindly at her. "I'm just telling you to be careful Rosie. If it had been your dad who had entered just then, and not me, you would be having an entirely different sort of conversation."

Rose nodded solemnly. She knew her uncle meant well and he was just as worried about Ron blowing a fuse as she was.

"He really isn't so bad," she whispered to her shoes and she could hear the smile in her uncle's voice when he replied. "I'm sure."

It turned out that Rose had been unnecessarily worrying about the whole situation. Before Scorpius could so much as take off his cloak, Albus was dragging him around to introduce him to all their aunts and uncles.

Rose had initially expected James or the others to behave coldly toward him, but when they spotted him, they greeted him normally and even engaged him in animated conversations. That seemed to greatly influence the atmosphere, because the adults seemed to accept their children's acceptance of Scorpius and greeted him kindly and politely. George even threw in a joke or two about it.

By the time they were sitting down for dinner, the mood had completely reverted back to the usual cheerful and amiable laughter and chatter, and Rose breathed out a sigh of relief as she passed on a bowl of mashed potatoes to her mother.

"All right there, Rosie?"

Rose looked up into Hermione's warm brown eyes and smiled, "Yeah, thanks mum."

Hermione placed the dish on the table and nodded toward Scorpius – who was now entertaining Lily, Hugo and Roxanne with an animated description of Albus's Quidditch tryouts – and said softly so only she could hear, "Looks like we were worried for nothing then."

She glanced toward Ron and Rose shrugged. "You still should have warned him, mum."

Hermione made a face, her eyes still on her husband. "He would have gotten more hyped up about it if I was the one who had told him to behave. It did all of us a lot of good that Harry had a talk with him instead of me."

Rose glanced up, surprised. Her father hadn't mentioned any talk with her uncle in their previous conversation. Hermione continued, not noticing her surprise. "Harry apparently had a long talk with him about how Scorpius was Al's friend and how it would be unfair of Ron to be a git (she suddenly realized she was talking to her daughter and hurriedly tried to cover up for the mistake. Rose waved it off and urged her to continue) toward him because it really wasn't his place to feel angry about it." Hermione sighed and shook her head, smiling weakly at Rose. "I honestly am glad I didn't have to tell him to put up with it because that child was your friend. Ron would have thrown a massive fit over that."

Rose grimaced and nodded, her suspicions confirmed.

"Oi Rose!"

She glanced away from her mother and saw that all her cousins – except Lucy, who was in deep discussion about something with Victoire, and Fred who was getting yelled at by his mum for pulling a prank on his sister – were getting up and moving outside, Albus in the lead with Scorpius in tow. Rose looked at her mum, who smiled at her and she excused herself from the table, jogging outside so she wouldn't fall behind.

She was barely out the door, before someone grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. Dominique and Louis were eyeing her suspiciously and Rose looked past them at the disappearing backs of her two best friends and impatiently snapped, "What?"

"How come your dad isn't tearing this place down with rage?"

Rose glared at Dominique, wanting to tell her off, but she simply shrugged and marched past her cousin. Louis caught up, not having had the chance to say whatever he wanted to.

"Don't do anything too friendly Rosie, or Uncle Ron _will_ burn the house down."

She glanced sideways at his solemn expression and nodded, jogging to catch up with Albus and Scorpius.

"Hi," she panted, finally catching up to them. They paused in their conversation to look at Rose, immediately pulling slightly apart so she could walk in between them. Smiling to herself, she skipped lightly to take her place and asked, "So where are we going?"

"Uncle George and uncle Charlie are apparently setting up fireworks and Teddy said the best spot is by the pond outside the orchard," Albus said, motioning toward the bushes slightly away from where everyone else was heading.

Scorpius leaned in and said lowly so only Rose could hear, "Very romantic, apparently."

Rose knew he hadn't meant anything by it and was just relaying whatever Teddy had said, but she still looked up at him with wide eyes, her face turning hot. Realising a second too late, Scorpius abruptly pulled away, his eyes going equally wide. "I didn't—"

"Hurry up, or the others are going to find out!"

Thanking Albus for his knack of having the worst timing ever, she ducked her head and jogged up to where her cousin was standing. He looked around to make sure nobody had followed them and ducked through the small gap in the shrubbery. Suddenly realising they were going out of bounds of the protective wards around the Burrow, Rose blanched, hissing to Albus, "Al, we're going to get into massive trouble if we're caught!"

"Stop being such a killjoy and hurry up!"

Rose rushed through the gap without having to be told twice, Scorpius following close behind.

"Al—"

"Shh! It's starting, hurry!"

They made their way around the bushes and reached the small pond. Rose immediately gasped, as fireworks exploded above them, their reflections glittering on the surface of the water.

The trio sat down quietly and watched the fireworks, alternating between looking at their reflection in the pond and then at the sky. They continued to sit silently long past the end of the fireworks, listening to the shouts and cries of elation from behind them.

When the noise finally died down, Albus stood up, pulling out a penlight from his pocket. He aimed the narrow beam at the ground, drawing a path toward the gap in the bushes. They made their way back carefully, having to rely on instinct and the feel of the ground beneath their feet, as it was too dark to see. Guided by the thin light, they had just reached the opening, Albus pushing Scorpius through first. Just as Rose was about to go through, there was a faint rustling behind them and she snapped her head around, straining to locate the sound.

"Who's there," Albus called softly, aiming the penlight at random. There was no other sound except for the crickets and the rustling of the breeze, and Rose tugged on Albus's shirt. "Come on."

She hurried through the opening, feeling the familiar warmth of the wards that surrounded the Burrow as they passed through them. Scorpius was hopping from one foot to another slightly down the slope, eyeing the house nervously.

"What took you so long," he hissed at them and after mumbled apologies, they ran back the rest of the way to the house. When they reached, they noticed Bill, Ron and Harry standing outside, their heads bent together in serious discussion.

"Dad," Albus called, coming to a halt behind them. The three men looked up sharply and their eyes immediately flickered to rest on Scorpius. Rose could feel her stomach drop, as she realized they were in serious trouble. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Ron beat him to it, marching toward Scorpius. Rose and Albus immediately stood in front of the blond, shielding him from a red-faced, fuming Ron.

"You," he hissed, thrusting a finger into Scorpius's chest. "I knew you were bad news! Told Harry you shouldn't come, but did he listen? Noo! 'It's none of your business,' he said. 'He's Al's friend,' he said. Al's friend, my arse! You've been cozying up to my Rosie ever since you got here, haven't you, you slimy little—"

"_Dad!"_ Rose pushed Ron's hand away and backed up against Scorpius. She could feel his warmth on her back. Tears pooling in her eyes, she glared at him, outraged.

Albus voiced the single thought running through her head.

"Apologize."

Rose shivered despite the warm weather. Albus's voice was so low and cold; she had never heard him use that tone before, ever. Ron's eyes snapped to Albus and his eyes narrowed.

"What's with that tone, Al? Being Sorted into Slytherin make you big-headed, is it?"

Rose could see the shift in Harry's expression behind her dad and knew there was an enormous row coming, but she couldn't stand any more of it at the moment. Grabbing Albus's and Scorpius' wrists, she dragged them toward the house, snapping an angry "We're going to bed," to no one in particular.

Without pausing, she pushed them up the stairs, her ears still ringing from the humiliation she felt. Albus didn't even stop to look back. He stomped up the stairs, cursing loudly. Scorpius paused mid-way and glanced worriedly at Rose, his eyes flickering with an unknown emotion. Ron's words cut sharply through her mind and she snapped at him, wincing at the harshness of her own voice. "Go!"

Scorpius spared a final glance at her and stalked upstairs, his shoulders squared. Rose gasped out the sob that had been threatening to burst out of her lips and slid to the floor, laying her head on her knees.

She cried into her arms, still furious at her father for being so inconsiderate and unbearable. She knew he had been worried because they hadn't returned with the others, but to instantly accuse Scorpius of it was just too much! And then to insult Albus on top of that! And what he had said about Scorpius cozying up to her! How could he?! She sniffed and wiped her hands across her face angrily. When she looked up, she saw Ron and Harry enter through the door, her father red-faced and furious, her uncle's expression stony.

The second they saw her, Ron's face paled instantly with worry and his eyes widened with guilt. He immediately made toward her, his arms outstretched. "Rosie.."

"Good night, father," she spat, turning on her heel and stomping up the stairs. She shut her ears as Ron called after her, "Rosie wait!"

She knew he would try to follow her, so she turned back down and screamed, her voice thick with tears, "I said, goodnight!"

And then she spun on her heel and ran up the rest of the way, two steps at a time. She knew everyone would have heard her, because the Burrow's walls were extremely thin, and all the rooms had gone deadly silent all the way up till Ron's old room right below the attic.

She slammed the door open and shut, stamping her foot, and crying out in frustration.

"I _hate him!"_

She looked up to see a bewildered looking Albus and an extremely pale Scorpius. Albus sighed, scratching his head.

"You were right, Rose, about this not being a good idea. I probably should have thought it through some more. I just—I was so excited at the thought of spending time outside school together and—"

"Albus Severus, stop it."

She absolutely refused to let her cousin blame himself for her father's pigheadedness. She flopped down on the bed beside Scorpius and took his hand in hers, swallowing at how cold and clammy it was.

"I'm, sorry," she mumbled to their clasped hands. Scorpius laughed shakily and raked a hand through his hair. Rose noted with guilt that it looked flat and lifeless.

"It's alright, really. I'm actually surprised this didn't happen when I arrived."

"Dad promised he would behave! I even told him that you weren't so bad and everything!"

Scorpius shot her a small, grateful smile and then nodded. "Yeah… I actually thought I was used to the whole being hated because I'm a Malfoy thing, you know? But then I met Al… and then you… and you guys didn't seem to hate me, in fact it was the exact opposite… and I just thought maybe it would be different this time, you know?"

Rose felt her eyes fill with tears at the hopelessness in his voice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Scorpius—"

"No, it's not your fault. My dad must have really been awful, for your dad to hate him so much, huh."

He said it like a statement, rather than a question, and Rose had no answer to that. The three of them continued to sit in silence for a long time, until Albus lay down on his bed and turned his back from then. Rose took that as a cue to leave and stood up. Scorpius stood with her, squeezing her hand – she hadn't realized she was still holding it – and smiled sadly at her.

"Goodnight Rose."

"Goodnight Scorpius."

Just as she was about to shut the door behind her, she heard Albus say, "We're leaving tomorrow. You can stay at my house. My parents don't care that you're a Malfoy."

She shut the door behind her and ran to the room she shared with her cousins, tears streaming down her face. What Albus had said had really hit her hard and when she entered, she was immediately engulfed by multiple hugs, as her cousins cooed softly to her and let her cry herself to sleep.

* * *

**A/n: Yes well it was kinda emotional and stuff, I know... But like I said, this is where it all starts!**

**Yes, the break after when Rose says she's going to go talk to Hermione and when she talks to Ron is long; almost a week apart. I didn't want to write anything to drag it out, so I just did that. Sorry?**

**You know what to do~**

**Love!**


	9. Another Slytherin

**A/n: Since the previous chapter was on the heavier end, I decided something light was due. This chapter is mostly like an introductory chapter to their Third year - and I wanted to add Hugo and Lily's Sorting into it :3 She is definitely a Slytherin no matter what anybody says!**

**Also, I just wanted to remind you that although things have been pretty light, the other theme for this story is hurt/comfort so hopefully you can prepare yourself with this chapter for the upcoming rollercoaster ride of confused and haywire emotions!**

**Thank you for reading! Follow, favorite and review! I need to know what you think!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Another Slytherin**

* * *

Rose watched Albus talking to Scorpius out of the corner of her eye. They were standing apart from the rest of the family - as they were exchanging the usual goodbyes on Platform 9¾ before the Hogwarts Express' departure - and after some time, got onto the train, Albus pausing to wave at his parents. Rose watched him disappear into the train and made to follow him, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

She looked up to see an agitated Ron looking down at her expectantly. "Rosie—"

"Bye, dad," she said crisply and hurried onto the train. She paused to wave out of the window at her mum and uncles and aunts and then made her way toward the usual compartment at one end that was occupied by the Potter-Weasley clan. The train started to move and she pushed open the door.

Unlike before, the already crowded compartment was extremely congested, with the addition of Lily, Hugo, Roxanne and Lucy. So that made it a total of twelve people – twelve, because Albus had decided Scorpius was officially allowed to sit with them - squashed into one small compartment.

Rose looked to her left and tried to sit next to her brother, but Hugo simply shot her a dirty look and continued to show off his pet rat, Scratcher. Seeing as she had no other choice, she squeezed in next to Scorpius. He smiled at her and greeted her with the usual 'Hi Rose', which she returned with a half-hearted 'Hi Scorpius's. As she sat squished between the blond and the wall, her mind went back to the awful memory of the week before.

The morning after the humiliating incident, Albus and Harry had left to go back to the Potter residence with Scorpius. Rose had been so ashamed of what had happened the previous night, that she had remained curled up in the room she shared with her cousins and refused to see the boys off. And that was the last time she had seen or spoken to Scorpius – until just then.

She had been so furious with her father, she had refused all his attempts to apologize to her and make up with gifts and sweets. And the worst part of the entire ordeal was that Albus hadn't spoken to her once since that night. A day before they left to Hogwarts, Ginny had found her crying in the garden and immediately demanded that Albus floo back to the Burrow and sort things out with Rose. Finally after an awkward, one-sided conversation – since all Rose did was cry and apologize – Albus had decided it was stupid to be mad at her and they had made up with a teary (Rose was the only one in tears) hug.

Rose was snapped out of her daze when Scorpius waved his hand in front of her face. She reluctantly looked up into liquid silver eyes and Scorpius's lips twitched into a half smile.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Are you mad at me?"

Rose was taken-aback at the suddenness of the question itself, not to mention the fact that he thought that _she_ was mad at _him_.

"Why would you even—"

He shrugged, staring at a spot in the carpet. "Well you never spoke to me after that so… I assumed you were mad at me."

Rose had to refrain from sighing and she shook her head, looking at him incredulously. "Scorpius," she started, but just at that moment the entire compartment exploded in boisterous laughter and Rose had to lean in so he could hear her. "I'm not mad at you!"

He eyed her with relief and then asked, "So we're good?"

Rose nodded, not wanting to shout over all the noise, and gestured that they would talk about it later. Scorpius nodded and turned to join in the laughing and hooting.

Rose sighed and sat back in her seat, only to find herself staring into her brother's eyes. Hugo shot her one last suspicious look and turned away.

The rest of the journey went much the same way. Every time Scorpius or Rose would try to start a conversation, they would be interrupted and by the time they could so much as exchange four sentences without having to shout over the din, the Hogwarts Express was already pulling to a stop.

Once they got out, the four youngest Weasleys split away from the rest of them to take the boats to school. They all greeted a tired looking Hagrid, who smiled warmly at them, and got into the carriages. Rose made sure she got into the one with Dominique, Molly and their friends, feeling Scorpius's gaze directed toward her.

Soon they were seated in the Great Hall and the Sorting had commenced. A tense silence hung over the Gryffindor table - particularly the Potter-Weasley clan - as even James and Fred were sitting upright and staring at the front, instead of their usual commentary following each Sorted first year. When 'Potter, Lily' was called, James nearly sprang up from his seat and had to be pulled back down by Louis and Fred.

The usual muttering took place, as the Sorting Hat conversed with Lily, as it had with Albus two years ago. After what seemed like ages, the Hat finally looked up and bellowed "SLYTHERIN!" much to James' extreme outrage. Lily grinned and ran to where Albus was sitting, exchanging high fives with him, followed by polite applause from the Slytherins.

James punched the table and nearly shouted, "I cannot believe the nerve of that brat! She's been going on all summer about how she'd rather be Sorted into Slytherin with Al than rot away with the rest of us in Gryffindor! I'll bet anything she told that ruddy Hat to put her in Slytherin!"

But no one paid too much attention to his cursing and swearing, because very soon 'Weasley, Hugo' was called. It was barely a moment after Hugo put on the Hat, that it muttered something resembling 'Another bloody Weasley! You lot multiply faster than rabbits!' and hollered "GRYFFINDOR!"

A pale-faced Hugo came to sit down beside Rose and as she hugged him, he said in a stricken voice, "I really thought for a moment I'd get put in Slytherin with Lily…" Rose laughed and ruffled his hair. Soon Lucy and Roxanne were both Sorted into Gryffindor; both welcomed by boisterous shouts and applause, followed by the Headmistress's usual speech and the extravagant banquet.

Rose saw Hugo goggle at the food that had appeared in front of him and watched as he put everything within arm's reach onto his plate. As soon as most of the students were done eating, Louis stood up, tapping the gleaming Prefect badge on his robes. With a smart, "Right then," he marched down the length of the table calling loudly, "First Years! First years follow me!"

Hugo looked at Rose and she nodded enthusiastically, and he followed Louis with a beaming Lucy and a squealing Roxanne.

Rose stood up and joined the crowd of students swarming out of the Great Hall. Just as she reached the double doors, she felt someone grab her elbow and she was steered toward the kitchen. She looked up to see shimmering platinum-blond hair and swallowed, knowing exactly why Scorpius had pulled her away from the crowd.

As soon as they could stand without being jostled around, Scorpius turned to look at her. "Rose—"

But he was cut off by a bunch of Hufflepuff First years – who looked up at him with terrified expressions – and the Hufflepuff Prefect – who glanced suspiciously at the two of them and told them off. Scorpius made an annoyed sound and sighed, looking away from Rose.

"We'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight."

Rose watched him disappear into the crowd and turned the opposite direction, making her way to Gryffindor Tower. When she walked in through the Portrait Hole, she saw the knowing expression on Louis' face and hurriedly made her way up to her room.

* * *

When Rose entered her Potion's class the next morning, she immediately spotted Scorpius - who motioned toward the empty seat beside him. As she made her way toward him, she looked around and saw that Albus was seated across from them, engaged in what seemed like an amicable conversation with a girl from her house. She sat down beside Scorpius and he grinned at her.

"Hi Rose."

"Hi Scorpius."

"So," he started, his expression turning serious, but just then Professor Slughorn ambled in, greeting them cheerily and patting his potbelly. After a brief explanation of what they were going to do in that day's class, he turned to shuffle through some parchment and spell the instructions on the board, and Scorpius immediately turned his attention back to Rose.

"Look," she cut in, before he could say anything. "I'm not mad at you or anything. I just couldn't handle speaking to you because—because I was ashamed of how my father behaved. He shouldn't have said what he said and I'm really sorry about it!" she spoke in a rush, wanting to get it all out of her system now that she had started. "He tried apologizing to me the whole time after, but I knew he was only doing it because he had upset me and nothing more. When I finally told him I'd forgive him only when he apologized to you, he got angry and told me to go to my room. Oh, Scorpius, I'm really sorry!" she looked at Scorpius with pleading eyes.

Suddenly he smiled at her - his rare, brilliant smile that made her chest constrict painfully - and chuckled lightly. "It's alright, Rose. I didn't want to talk to you about this so you could apologize. I know your dad was extremely worried, considering we had gone out of bounds of the wards and how late it was. I just wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings between us." He smiled, slightly embarrassed, and said, "I value our friendship, you know."

She felt a sudden surge of affection toward the boy and once again, found herself wondering why in the world she had detested him so much before. Rose flushed, ducking her head. "Me too."

She looked up at him and he reached out and pinched her nose and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He gave her a lopsided smile and leaning slightly toward her, said so softly, she almost missed it, "Alright then." There was something about his gentle expression that made her stomach feel warm and fluttery and when he tilted his head and shot her his trade-mark smirk, she turned a violent shade of red and spun forward, staring at the table. When she looked up, it was to meet emerald eyes and Albus's curious expression, with his eyebrows raised. She bit her lip and looked away, hurriedly copying down whatever instructions had appeared on the board.

Potions class seemed to fly by, and soon she was packing up her things, ready to leave. Just as she was picking up her parchment, Scorpius laid his hand on it. She looked up at him and he said with slight nervousness, "I'll see you at lunch?" she smiled, nodded and taking away her parchment, exited the class.

Albus caught up with her in the hallway.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Well, what was that all about?"

"Well, what was what all about?"

"Rose Weasley, do not play dumb with me."

Rose glanced sideways at her cousin and saw his eyes flash with annoyance. She sighed. There was no escaping Albus.

"It was nothing—"

"Don't lie to me, Rose—"

"—of importance," she finished pointedly, ignoring Albus's interruption. He pursed his lips at her and when she didn't offer any more of an explanation, said, "That didn't look like nothing, Rose."

"What exactly is 'that', Al?"

"That—that!" he said vaguely, waving his hands around. Rose thought he was referring to the moment between her and Scorpius, considering Albus had always been overly keen when it came to small, irrelevant things like that, but she was trying to forget about how confused and flustered she had felt for some unfathomable reason. Scorpius sometimes did and said things on impulse, without really giving it much thought or special meaning and Rose didn't want to look stupid assuming that there was some hidden implication behind the action - or even acknowledging the fact that he had done something at all.

She was so lost in thought, that she hadn't paid attention to one word Albus was saying. So when he turned toward her and went 'Well?' she just stared at him with a blank expression. Albus huffed and ruffled his already unruly hair. "Atleast _pretend_ like you're listening to me?"

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, pausing in the hallway. "I'm late for class and so are you."

Albus only rolled his eyes and stalked away, waving at her over his shoulder. She bit her lip, knowing Albus had only let it go for now. As she entered her Transfiguration class, she shook her head of all thoughts even remotely related to Scorpius and decided she wouldn't let herself indulge in such trivial - and unnecessary - thoughts anymore.

* * *

**A/n: Just to clarify, if you find Rose's thought process annoying, I'm sorry but I just think that she is one extremely confused person when it comes to considering and thinking about feelings and emotions that aren't in any book. Anybody remember "Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon"?xD So yeah, she's a confused mess and she's only thirteen and I like to think this story is so much more entertaining because of that. **

**Well anyway, you know what to do!**

**See you next Scorpius and Rose time!**

**Love~**


	10. Quidditch

**A/n: I'm losing days like no man's business. It feels like yesterday when I updated the previous chapter. Ugh exams just suck the soul out of you.**

**Anyway, this is one of my favorite chapters because there's a lot of excitement and a lot more of the family than just the golden trio. **

**Thank you again for all the love and please please pleaaaaaaase review and tell me what you think! Your opinions always make my week! And follow and favorite!**

**Thanks for reading guys. Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Quidditch**

* * *

"So Scorpius is Keeper and I'm Seeker," Albus announced proudly, as he came to sit opposite Rose at the Gryffindor table. She glanced up from her textbook with her eyebrows raised.

"I thought the tryouts weren't until next week?"

"No, but since Fred, Louis and James are on the Gryffindor team, our captain thought it would be funny if the two of us are on the Slytherin team. He even tried to get Lils to tryout, but she flatly refused. And she's still a first year and everything."

Rose continued to stare at him and Albus said, "What! I think it's funny!"

"Hilarious," Rose replied, rolling her eyes and turning back to her book.

Albus slumped onto the table, his long arms reaching across so he could fiddle with her pages. "We're still going to try out, obviously. But I should think we'll make the team."

"Albus, stop that," Rose snapped, smacking his hand and ignoring what he said.

"No, you stop it! All you do lately is read! You are the most boring Weasley in history!"

Rose looked up and let her mouth fall open, letting out an affronted gasp. She brought a hand to her chest and said, "Well I never! You are a horrible person, Albus Potter."

Albus grinned at her and propped his chin on his hands. "Now _that_ is the cousin I know and love."

Rose smacked him playfully and he laughed, standing up and climbing over the table to her side. He sat down beside her, propping his elbow on the table and supporting his head with his hand. "What are you reading?"

"Quidditch Through The Ages."

Albus made a sound of surprise and Rose glanced at him without raising her head. "What, just because I'm not mental about Quidditch means I can't find it interesting?"

"I haven't said a word," Albus retorted, sticking his tongue out at her. She smiled and glanced back at her book. "You're in a good mood."

"Of course! I just told you I got chosen to play on the team! I'm still waiting for my beloved cousin's hearty congratulations, by the way."

"Hearty congratulations," she said in a monotone and Albus reached over to ruffle her hair with both his hands. Rose screeched and thwacked his hands away, but he wrestled her into a headlock, laughing as she squeaked and banged the table, panting 'I yield, I yield!'.

"You two seem to be having fun."

The duo glanced up to see a smirking Scorpius come and sit on the other side of Rose. Albus instantly shot out of his seat, his mouth forming an O. "I just remembered!"

"What," Rose and Scorpius said together, but Albus was already detangling his long legs from the bench and making his way toward the double doors. "Bye!"

Rose watched him go and then turned back to her book, shrugging.

"So Al told you I'm Keeper?"

"Yeah, congratulations!"

"Thanks!" he grinned at her and mirrored Albus's previous posture, propping his elbow on the table. He looked down at what she was reading and before he could ask, Rose said, "Quidditch Through The Ages. And yes, I do find it interesting, thank you for asking."

He raised an eyebrow at her, his lips tugging into a smirk.

"I was going to ask you why you were reading Quidditch Through The Ages instead of revising for the Potions test."

The reaction he got was exactly what he was aiming for. Rose made a horrified face and grabbing her books, got up to leave. Scorpius caught her wrist and she turned to him curiously.

"Listen, the Hogsmeade weekend is coming up soon."

Rose tilted her head at him. "Yes, I know. Al's been going on and on about it for ages. _Everyone's_ been going on and on about it for ages."

Scorpius nodded, his silver eyes glittering with a hint of what seemed like nervousness. "I was wondering if you'd go with me?"

Rose shot him a puzzled expression. "What do you mean? I thought Al already decided we're going together. He's planned out what he wants to do, and everything."

Scorpius opened his mouth, making to say something, but then he shut it, looked at Rose with the same unknown expression as before and let go of her wrist. "You were going to revise for the test," he reminded her and she squealed, bouncing on the spot and then jogging away.

Scorpius watched her go with a strange smile on his face and then turned to go back to his Common Room.

* * *

The first Quidditch match was between Slytherin and Ravenclaw and the morning before it, Albus was one big bundle of nerves.

"Calm the hell down, mate," Fred told him, thumping him on the back. "I'm getting worked up just looking at you."

Albus mumbled an apology and went back to picking at his food. "Al, you can't play if you don't eat something," Rose advised him gently, pushing a glass of pumpkin juice toward him. Albus took one look at it and looked like he was going to be sick.

"Oi Potter!"

All heads turned toward the entrance of the Great Hall, where the Slytherin team captain, Moises Hawthorne, stood waving at Albus.

Rose pushed him gently, when he looked like he was rooted to the spot. "Go on then."

He looked back at her with a mortified expression and James threw a nugget at him. "For Merlin's sake, get it together mate! If you're like this before the game even starts, imagine how you'll be once you lose!"

"James!" Rose and Lily chastised, the latter coming up to help her brother up. "Come now, brother dearest," she cooed to Albus – who looked like he wanted to disappear into a hole. "You don't want to make the others wait."

Albus finally stood up and made his way shakily toward his teammates. Lily rolled her eyes at them and whispered, "Makes you wonder which one of us is older."

James and Fred guffawed and Rose shot them a look, before turning back to the boys clothed in green at the end of the Hall.

"Wonder where Scorpius is."

She hadn't realized she'd said it out loud, until she turned to see the expressions on her cousins' faces. She flushed and stood up, patting herself down. "I think I'll go make sure Al is OK."

"Yeah, that's where you're going for sure," Fred said cheekily, and Rose glowered at him.

"I'll come with you."

Rose turned back to see Louis stand up and she caught her breath, several excuses to get away from him running though her mind. He shot her his usual knowing smile – that made Rose wilt a little – and then started walking toward the entrance.

They followed a little behind the Slytherin team, so as to not eavesdrop on whatever discussion they were having. Rose watched Lily pat Albus on the back and then skip away, smiling sweetly at one of the other boys on the team. Rose frowned. She was going to have to ask Albus or Scorpius about him.

"Earth to Rose," Louis said in her ear and she jumped, her skin tingling with gooseflesh. "Yes?" she asked him meekly, eyeing his smile with some dislike.

"I said, should I go catch us some seats while you go look for Malfoy?"

Rose paused, eyeing Louis with suspicion. He raised innocently curious brows at her and then pointed at his Prefect badge.

"Certain privileges enjoyed by the elite," he said proudly, assuming she was wondering about how he was going to get good seats. Rose nodded curtly and saying she'd be back soon, turned and walked away. She could feel Louis' gaze follow her all the way till she hastily turned a corner.

Although she looked everywhere she could think of, Scorpius was nowhere to be found. She'd spotted one of his housemates coming up from the dungeon and asked if she'd seen Scorpius. She'd stared at Rose like she was wondering if Rose was actually talking to her and then shaking her head, had walked away. Not knowing where else to look, Rose climbed up the last few steps to the Astronomy Tower, pausing so she could get her breathing under control.

"Rose?"

"Scorpius! What in Merlin's name are you doing here?! The match starts in ten minutes!"

The way Scorpius looked at her with a bewildered expression and rushed past her, she knew he had probably been lost in thought and lost track of time. By the time she made her way through the crowd of students and found her family, Slytherin was already two goals ahead. When she sat beside Lily, the young girl looked up at her with gleaming brown eyes and said, "I think I'm going to tryout for the commentator's spot."

Raising her brows at the sudden, determined decision, she said a word of encouragement to Lily and turned her eyes to the match.

"Martens has the Quaffle – a splendid pass to Farnes – excellent steal by Hawthorne! Slytherin in possession of the Quaffle! Hawthorne passes to Cox – who passes to Sutter – who – Scores! Thirty-love to Slytherin!"

Rose glanced toward the commentator's box and saw that the Fifth year belonged to Slytherin, as Slughorn was sitting beside him. No wonder Lily had wanted to be the commentator. She turned her eyes back to the game as a sudden wave of excitement passed through the crowd. The commentator answered Rose's suspicions.

"And Potter's seen the Snitch! He dives, closely followed by the Ravenclaw Seeker, Mathew – and back in the game, Slytherin scores again!"

Rose leaned forward, her hands clutching the rail as she watched Albus make a sharp turn and pull his broom upward.

"What a feint by the Slytherin Seeker, Potter! Keeping up the Potter's name, as you can see!"

Rose glowed with pride and she knew Albus had heard the commentator, because he looped in the air and hovered slightly above the rest of the players, while James yelled, "Show off!"

"And another spectacular save by the Slytherin Keeper, Malfoy! Really, why these boys weren't on the team last year is beyond me! Hawthorne obviously is smarter than the previous captain – and another goal by Slytherin's Cox, and it looks like Potter's really spotted the Snitch this time! Look at him go!"

Albus went into a sharp dive, zooming around a bludger and dodging two Ravenclaw Chasers. He cut sharply to the left and dove again, his hand outstretched. Everyone was literally hanging from the railings, watching him fly closer and closer to the ground. Rose caught her breath… there was a flash of gold… and Albus came out of the dive perfectly, the Snitch clutched in his outstretched hands.

The Slytherin stands were in uproar. Everyone was screaming madly and Rose watched as the rest of the team flew down to tackle Albus to the ground.

"What a spectacular finish! Potter and Malfoy owned this game, ladies and gentlemen! Those boys have got some serious talent! Beware Gryffindor! Slytherin will steal the House Cup from you this time around!"

There was some struggle with the microphone and McGonagall finally declared the end of the match. Rose continued to cheer with the rest of her family, as they made their way down to the pitch.

Albus was absolutely glowing, his face split into a mighty grin.

"Good show, mate! Good show!"

"That was _brilliant_ Al!"

"What a feint! You really got us on our toes, you little rascal!"

"I knew you could do it!"

"Keeping up the Potter's name! Good for you Al!"

"What was with that loop-de-loop eh? Show off!"

"How did it feel, your first time catching a Snitch in an official match?!"

Everyone was shouting and talking at the same time, Albus was forced to nod and grin while he was hugged and patted and noogied and tousled. Rose managed to hug him before a shrieking Lily threw herself in his arms, Albus laughing as he picked her up and twirled her around. Rose stepped back, laughing and bumped into someone. She looked back and –

"Scorpius!"

"Hullo," he grinned down at her, his face flushed and his usually perfect hair wind swept. Rose squealed as Scorpius picked her off her feet and twirled her about, like Albus had with Lily. He laughed and put her down. She hugged him and pulling back said, "You were brilliant! You didn't give them a single chance to score! Absolutely brilliant!"

Scorpius laughed some more and then Albus joined them, thumping his best mate on the back.

"Fantastic! What a game!"

Albus hooked one arm around Scorpius's shoulder and the other around Rose's. They walked back to the school like that; laughing and listening to Albus describe in detail his experiences during the match. As the reached the Entrance Hall, they paused and Lily came up behind them, beaming. "Hanners said there's going to be a huge party in the Common Room to celebrate your success in your first match!"

And then she pranced away, Rose making a note of Hanner's name for future reference. Albus pulled away from Rose and made after his sister, sharing more of his brother's tackles on the way.

"Too bad you can't come."

Rose looked up at Scorpius and he winked at her. "We'll make up for it in Hogsmeade."

Rose watched him go, her cheeks flushed and feeling absolutely thrilled by the whole affair. She joined her cousins as they made their way toward Gryffindor Tower and Dominique bumped shoulders with her.

"What's this about Hogsmeade?"

"Dom! Do you eavesdrop on everyone's conversations, or is it just me in particular?"

Dominique's eyes twinkled and she said slyly, "Only when it's got something to do with Scorpius."

Rose's eyes widened and she stared at her cousin. The blonde looked at her curiously. "What?"

"You didn't call him the 'Malfoy boy'."

Dominique snorted and entered the portrait hole behind her brother, leaving Rose to wonder when Scorpius had become Scorpius and was no longer the Malfoy boy.

* * *

**A/n: I dunno about you lot, but I couldn't stop smiling while I read through this chapter. It's nice to see some good ol' Quidditch excitement go around - especially with so many Potters and Weasleys in there now. So as you can probably guess, next chapter is their trip to Hogsmeade and finally some actual Scorpius x Rose! Look forward to it!**

**You know what to do!**

**Lots of love~**


	11. Hogsmeade

**A/n: Here's the long awaited Hogsmeade trip! I'm sorry if it's insufficient, as my main intention was to further the relationship between Scorpius and Rose than the actual visit to Hogsmeade. Lots of feels and weirdly confusing (for Rose) turn of events here!**

**Thank you for reading and please don't forget to review, favorite and follow!**

**P.s, for those of you who haven't subscribed to me or this story, no worries because I update it every 5-6 days!**

**You guys are the best! Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Hogsmeade**

* * *

"No matter how many times I see this stuff, I'm still awed by it all," Albus declared, as he fiddled with a green ball-like object.

Rose rolled her eyes at him, but when she realized that the dome-shaped object still had the tag on it, she tried to grab it from her cousin.

"Al! You know Uncle George hates it when you mess with the merchandise!"

"I'm only looking!" Albus retorted, diving out of her reach and sliding down the rail to the floor below. Rose watched his mop of unruly hair disappear into the sea of students and looked around, trying to spot the familiar platinum blond.

The Hogsmeade weekend had finally arrived and the second they had set foot into the Wizarding village, Albus had made a beeline toward Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the new branch opened in Hogsmeade a few years ago, Rose and Scorpius in tow.

She finally spotted Scorpius standing in the center of the packed room, wearily eyeing a large cauldron filled to the brim with bubbling purple liquid. The moment Rose had neared him, he jerked his chin toward it and asked uneasily, "What is that?"

Rose shrugged. "A cauldron full of failed concoctions ready to explode."

Scorpius turned to her wide-eyed, his mouth open in disbelief. She giggled and patted him on the arm. "But worry not, it's protected by anti-inflammatory spells and anti-explosive charms, so even if it does explode, it won't burn the place down."

Scorpius stared at her.

"Also, the pedestal it's on is surrounded by cushioning charms and shield charms, so the explosion is contained within that small area. I've seen it happen, which is why you can take my word for it."

Scorpius didn't look the least bit convinced, so she dragged him away and outside. They stopped right outside the door, Rose blowing at her fingertips and wishing she'd worn gloves.

"Why didn't you wear your gloves?" Scorpius asked curiously, raising his own gloved hand. She eyed it yearningly. He laughed and pulling his left glove off, and put it on her hand. She rubbed the soft wool against her cheek and sighed contently at the enveloping warmth. Scorpius grabbed her other hand in his and she shivered from the sudden warmth. He grinned down at her and placed their clasped hands in his coat pocket.

She instinctively drew closer to him, sighing at the warmth, the smile still in place. He hummed a tune under his breath and she looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"You're in an awfully good mood," she commented lightly, enjoying the brightness in his eyes as he scanned their surroundings.

He looked down at her with a smugly satisfied smirk and drawled, "Why wouldn't I be? I'm out in one of the very few Wizarding villages in the world with my best mate and my most favorite girl by my side; any fellow with half a brain would be overjoyed, right?"

She scoffed at that and replied, "You talk as though you're out on a date with the girl you're smitten with and everything's right with the world."

A vague smile flickered across his face, as he said, "Everything seems just about right, doesn't it though?"

"I suppose," she answered lightly, feeling him intertwine her fingers with his. A jolt ran through her at that and she felt herself flush and frowned in confusion. That was a very strange way to react to Scorpius holding her hand - especially since he was only doing it because it was cold and he had done it so many times before without having put any special meaning or thought behind it.

"You reckon Al will throw a tantrum if we were to visit Honeydukes without him?" Scorpius asked, eyeing the sweets store a little distance away somewhat longingly.

"What do you _think_," Rose said, pulling him to the middle of the street to keep him from straying towards the shop in question. "He would rage about it until you wished your ears would fall off."

Scorpius made a face and nodded wistfully. "You're right... but maybe if we got him something...?"

Rose laughed and hit his arm with her free hand. A couple of students she recognized as Fourth years eyed them as they passed-by, immediately whispering very conspicuously. She suddenly felt awkward at the thought of how the two of them probably looked like to onlookers and drew away slightly, her cheeks tingeing pink with embarassment. Scorpius seemed to notice, but didn't comment. She was about to say something in order to dispel the awkwardness, but her words froze in her throat as the overly familiar voice drifting to her from behind them.

"I'm telling you mate, we should really replace that cauldron. Or atleast recast the spells on it. That thing looks like it's one minute away from blowing the shop to bits."

Rose's smile froze on her face and she stood rooted to the spot. Beside her, Scorpius stiffened as well and without turning around or glancing back, he urged her forward, so that they passed a group of students and were temporarily hidden.

Rose was staring straight in front of her, her insides just as frozen as the snow around her, when she felt Scorpius pull something over her hair. She glanced up at him and saw his bare, tousled head, realising he must have placed his hat on her head. He unwrapped his Slytherin muffler and wrapped it around her neck, over her own Gryffindor one, tucking all her hair securely beneath it.

"Why is he here?" she hissed, glancing out of the corner of her eye and spotting the red of her father's head.

"Come on," Scorpius said urgently, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the other side of the street.

Unfortunately for them, Hogsmeade consisted of one single main street with a square in the middle; which meant they had absolutely nowhere to hide. Scorpius yanked her off the road and tugged her up the slope that led to the Shrieking Shack. They stomped through the fresh snow, gasping and panting as they reached the top.

"_Why_ is he here?!" Rose huffed, finally looking back to see if she could spot Ron's red head. "Don't tell me he came because I wrote mum that today was our Hogsmeade weekend and I was coming with Al and you…"

"Come off it, Rose. I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

Scorpius was looking toward the street from where they had just come as well; his tone was light but his expression was strained. He noticed her looking at him and smiled crookedly at her. "Besides, your dad co-owns the shop, doesn't he? Of course he'd be here if he knew students were going to be spending the day in town, right?"

Rose nodded, breathing through her teeth. "Yeah," she said, more to convince herself than as a reply to Scorpius. "Yeah." Something flashed across his eyes and he turned toward her.

"Rose…"

She looked up, a jolt running through her as she realized how close they were. Scorpius had pocketed their clasped hands again and she could feel her hand getting clammy under his. A vague emotion flitted across Scorpius's face and was gone before Rose could place it. She was still breathing through her mouth, suddenly feeling warm from the strain of her father spotting them together and their quick trek up the slope.

Scorpius leaned closer, as if drawn in by her and Rose felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. "Scorpius?" she squeaked, thoroughly unnerved by the muted fire in his eyes. He was looking at her like he was trying to convey something to her but didn't know how.

Something wasn't right. The look on his face wasn't right. His eyes were too dark a grey… his expression too brooding… his hold on her hand too tight… the way he was looking at her wasn't right. The way she couldn't tear her eyes away from his murky grey ones wasn't right. She could feel her body growing tenser by the minute. Scorpius wasn't moving any closer, but she felt like he was… his face seemed to be looming nearer and nearer… she could see their hot breath mingling together in between them… it just wasn't right and Rose wanted to turn tail and run. Her heart was starting to beat painfully in her chest and she was feeling short of breath. She'd seen him look at her with a strange expression she'd never been able to place, but never so intensely... and definitely never in such close proximity.

She opened her mouth, making to say something if only to dispel the heavy atmosphere, but a snowball barreled into the side of Scorpius's face at that instant. Rose jumped back with a shriek, her hand detangling from his, and Scorpius shook the snow off, swearing loudly.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Rose turned to see Albus standing three feet away, his face pale, his eyes wide with shock and an unreadable expression on his face. Although she was looking at her cousin, his question and gaze were directed at Scorpius and Scorpius alone. Before the other boy could reply, Albus had stomped up to him and shoved him hard.

"What're you playing at, Malfoy?"

"Al, mate, it's not what you think—"

"Is that right? And how do you know what I think, eh?"

Albus shoved him again and without even looking at Rose, stomped toward her and raised his hand. Rose flinched, shutting her eyes, expecting Albus to hit her, but he simply grabbed the hat from her head and tossed at Scorpius, his mouth downturned in a nasty frown. Without glancing at her, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the street. Since neither was looking toward Scorpius, they didn't see the shock and hurt on the blond's face.

"Al—"

Albus was pulling her with so much force, Rose nearly tripped several times while trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Albus, wait—"

They stopped at the corner of the road and he rounded on her, nostrils flaring. "Are you completely mental, you stupid girl?"

Rose stepped back unconsciously, from the force of his voice. She felt stung by the accusing look in his emerald eyes and opened her mouth, trying to explain. "Al, it's really just a misunderstanding—"

"What the _hell _were you thinking?! Of _course_ it's a misunderstanding, you daft idiot! Anybody would have jumped to conclusions if they'd seen the two of you just then!"

Rose's lip trembled and she bit back tears as Albus roared at her. "He just pulled me away because dad—"

"Exactly!"

She stared at him, confused. Albus ruffled his hair in frustration and looked around, as though expecting Rose's common sense to appear at any moment.

"You dad is right here! In town! So why in bloody hell would you run off with him?!"

"I-I didn't—"

"Yes, I know you didn't think! Merlin, Rose!"

He cried out in frustration and stomped his boots free of show. He then turned to look at her again, his eyes flashing. "I'm telling you now, I don't ever want a repeat of last summer again."

Rose swallowed thickly and nodded. Albus continued, shaking her roughly by the shoulders. "All three of us were thoroughly rankled by it and you, the most. I get that you were scared Uncle Ron had spotted you, but why in Merlin's name would you run off _together_?!"

Rose felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, as the reason for Albus's anger finally dawned on her.

He had gotten angry because he had seen her dad, and run to find and warn them, only to find them together… and standing so close, anyone would have reacted the way Albus had, if not just as violently.

He sighed, seeing that she had finally got his point and massaged his forehead.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, ducking her head in shame.

"I swear to God, Rosie, sometimes you're way too thick for your own good." There was no venom in his tone and she looked up to see him smiling tiredly at her.

"Al!"

The duo immediately froze, as Ron's voice floated to them over the din of the crowd. Albus half-turned and instinctively pulled Rose close behind him, so he hid her.

"Aha, I thought I saw you! Today's your Hogsmeade weekend in'nit? Completely skipped my mind! Rosie even wrote 'Mione saying you were coming down here! Speaking of which," he paused and looked around, having finally reached them. "Where is she?"

Rose peeked out from behind Albus and said, "Surprise!"

Ron's eyes widened in delight and he laughed, stepping around Albus to pull her into his outstretched arms. He suddenly paused and Rose's stomach fell, when she saw the hesitation in his eyes. She immediately threw herself into his arms, snuggling into her father's broad chest and feeling exceptionally guilty about how she had behaved toward him. Ron's arms surrounded her and he squashed her against him, engulfing her in his warmth.

When they finally pulled apart, Ron grimaced awkwardly and said, "Sorry love—" only to be cut off by Rose, who hurriedly interrupted him. "I'm really sorry daddy! I shouldn't have behaved like such a horrible person! I know you were only worried! I'm so sorry!"

His eyes widened and his face softened with immense affection for his daughter. "No, I'm sorry as well. You had every right to be angry with me. Even your mum rowed with me after you left, telling me what a big, stubborn git I was." He smiled at her and she felt her chest swell. "Actually, I was meaning to tell you when I met you here—"

Suddenly noticing something, he looked up and over Albus's shoulder, his face pulling into a grim smile.

Rose and Albus turned to see a completely ruffled looking Scorpius trudging down the slope. He was staring at the ground and hadn't noticed them. That was until Ron raised his hand and called out to him.

"Oi you! Malfoy junior!"

Scorpius's head snapped up so fast, he winced. He paled completely, as he slowly slunk up to them, ducking his head and mumbling a greeting to Ron.

"What's this? Shouldn't you look more energetic on your first Hogsmeade trip?"

Ron was talking to Scorpius in his normal, jovial tone and the three stared at him, completely dumb for words. He looked around at them with a big grin, like all he wanted to do was buy them a couple butter beers and sit for hours and chat.

As if he had read her mind, Ron pointed over his shoulder and said, "Let me buy you lot something to drink."

He turned around, putting an arm around Rose possessively and they trooped down toward the Three Broomsticks. They pushed through the crowd of students, witches and wizards and found a small table right at the very back. Ron sat down beside his daughter and motioned for Albus and Scorpius to take the seats opposite. Albus shared a weary look with Rose, but sat down obediently.

"Oi Rose!" Ron called over his shoulder and Rose's head snapped up, wondering why her father had shouted. But when the owner, Madam Rosmerta, ambled up to them with pursed lips, she mentally berated herself for being so jumpy.

"What's this, here? Don't keep calling me all the time Ron, it's a mighty pain." She smacked him lightly on the shoulder, but waited to take down his order anyway. Ron grinned and then said, "Three butter beers and one Fire Whiskey, thanks Rose."

Madam Rosmerta's eyes flashed and she made a face at him. "Fire Whiskey at this time of day! And with children, nonetheless!" Ron just shrugged, grinning cheekily and she bustled away, calling over her shoulder, "And don't call me Rose!"

Ron turned back to them, chuckling. "Same ol' Rosmerta. Hasn't changed a bit since the time I was your age."

And then they lapsed into awkward silence, broken only by Ron's questions about school or Quidditch toward Rose and Albus. When Madam Rosmerta finally placed their drinks on the table and left, Ron raised his glass and said, "Right then, cheers!" and downed the whole thing in one go. Rose looked at him with her mouth open, having half a mind to write to her mum about her dad's antics, but he placed the glass back down with a sigh, shook his head and turned to look at Scorpius and Albus.

"I owe you lads an apology, it would seem."

Both their eyes widened and they immediately started to deny it, thoroughly flustered. But Ron simply held a hand up, signaling to let him finish. He looked at a spot on the wall in between both of them and continued, "I was a right git toward you both and I have to apologize. I was just on edge and when you lot disappeared like that—" he shook his head, the corners of his eyes crinkling from the strain of the memory. Rose swallowed. Her dad had been really worried. "But still, it wasn't right of me to take it out on you, Mal-Scorpius," he nodded toward the boy – who coloured from hearing Ron call him by his given name. "and you too, Al. it was my bad, and you can be sure it won't happen again."

He nodded curtly and stood up, dusting his robes. "Right then, best I get back to the shop. Your uncle won't be too pleased when he finds out I snuck out to have a drink." He winked at Rose and patted Albus on the shoulder, motioning to Scorpius with his head as he made toward the door, "Walk with me?"

Rose watched Scorpius follow her father – white-faced – and prayed that he came back not completely traumatized.

Rose and Albus waited a little away, politely, although they were itching to know what Ron was saying to Scorpius. Finally, her father patted him on the back, waved at the two of them and jogged off toward the shop. Scorpius made his way back slowly, his face ashen, and Rose had to grip Albus's wrist so that he didn't pounce on the other boy immediately.

They walked toward Honeydukes, Scorpius staring at his shoes the whole time. When they reached, Albus shot Rose a knowing look and went inside.

"Scor—"

"Merlin, your dad's scary as hell." Scorpius shook his head, laughing shakily. He sat down at one of the snow-covered tables outside, his eyes wide. "I've never known anybody who could threaten someone with a smile on their face. It's honestly terrifying."

"He threatened you?!"

Scorpius waved her off, covering a hand over his eyes.

"What did he say?!"

When Scorpius didn't answer, she knew he was never going to tell her, and grudgingly entered the sweets shop, finding Albus and shooing him outside. She didn't know whether to feel angry with her father for being so adamant about everything when it came to her, or feel immense affection for him for how much he doted on her. She finally decided on a mixture of the two, and placed a packet of chocolate cauldrons on the counter.

* * *

**A/n: Erm I wasn't very happy with this chapter myself. Somehow or another it just happened too quickly and I couldn't add anymore because it would get too drawn out if I did :/ **

**The next chapter is summer in Malfoy Manor and Rose finally meeting Scorpius's parents and that is definitely something to look forward to! (I promise!)**

**Review about this chapter even if its negative comments because I need to knowwwww!**

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**Love love love~**


	12. Summer At Malfoy Manor

**A/n: This is the end of Third year and the beginning of Fourth! It's also the official beginning of Scorpius and Rose! About time, don't you think?**

**Thank you all for reading and for all the love!**

**Don't forget to review, favorite and follow!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Summer At Malfoy Manor**

* * *

That summer had probably been the most uneventful, boring period as far as Rose could remember. All the rest of the Weasleys were doing something or the other, going on holiday or visiting their other grandparents; but Albus and Rose were stuck at home having absolutely nothing to do.

The main reason for this was that Harry had taken up a particularly difficult mission and he and Ron were constantly sitting with their heads together, deep in discussion. Lily and Hugo were younger, so were easier to entertain, and James had run off to his friend's house in Muggle London the second he found out that they weren't going anywhere that summer. So that left Albus and Rose, who just sat doing nothing all day, thoroughly miserable.

But two weeks to the end of summer break things seemed to become interesting. They got a letter from Scorpius, and it read:

Dear Albus (and Rose),

Are you well? I'm in fine spirits myself, albeit facing a bout of severe boredom. I hope your summer was slightly more interesting than mine (only slightly, because it would be unfair if you had too much fun).

Coming to the reason for my writing you; it is to brief you on one particular conversation I had with my parents a few hours prior to writing this letter…

* * *

Scorpius sat with his back painfully straight, twirling his fork in his food. He was sitting with his parents for dinner and could feel their gazes on him, but chose to pretend like they weren't staring him down. Unfortunately, his father didn't seem to want to play along.

"Scorpius," Draco started, waiting until Scorpius looked up at him. "It is unsightly to see a Malfoy toy with his food." His voice was flat and monotonous, but his metallic eyes burned with unusual passion.

"Yes, father," Scorpius mumbled, trying to force how much ever food he could into his mouth, without looking ungraceful. Just as he picked up his glass of water for the fourth time, his mother cleared her throat gently.

He raised his eyes to meet hers, and she smiled kindly. "Is something the matter, dear?"

Scorpius opened his mouth, found he was incapable of forming words, closed it, licked his lips, and tried again – only to be interrupted by Draco's cold voice. "There is no necessity for small talk at the table."

His eyes flickered toward Astoria – who bowed her head politely – and the only sound that surrounded them for the next ten minutes, was the clinking of silver and the sound of glasses being refilled.

The moment he was sure he could excuse himself, Scorpius stood up and strode out of the room as confidently as he could bring himself to. He all but ran down the corridors, the moment he had exited the dining hall and reached the sitting room. He knew his parents would come to read by the fire for some time before going to bed and he wanted to make full use of the opportunity.

Sitting himself down in the farthest armchair from the fire, he sat rigidly and stared at the door, awaiting his parents' arrival. It seemed like forever, before the dark wooden door was pushed slowly open and Draco and Astoria strode in regally, as though they were catering to an audience. Draco didn't even glance at him, as he took the armchair right opposite the fire, leaving Astoria to sit on the one opposite Scorpius's. When his father slid on his reading glasses and picked up his book to read, Scorpius shot his mother a pleading look, desperate to say what he wanted to.

Astoria smiled, her eyes glittering with curiosity and inclining her head, spoke softly, "Is there something you would like to share with us, child?"

Scorpius glanced at his father, but Draco was staring intently at his book – although his eyes weren't following the words.

"May- may I ask Albus Potter and Rose Weasley over for the rest of summer break?"

Scorpius flinched as Draco snapped his book shut, removing his glasses and letting them hang from its silver chain. He finally fixed his cool gaze on his son. "Potter and Weasley?"

"Yes, sir." Scorpius dared not tear his eyes away from Draco's; although that was the one thing he really wanted to do. His father's face was passive and emotionless – as always – so Scorpius had no way of knowing what was going on in his head.

"And you think they will take kindly to this invitation?"

Scorpius knew Draco was referring to Harry and Ron, and although he knew Ron would probably refuse instantly, Harry would have absolutely no problem.

"Yes, I do."

Draco didn't look very convinced and continued to stare at him with an expression that made Scorpius feel like he could see right through him.

"I think it is a wonderful idea," Astoria piped in, coming to her son's rescue. Draco glanced at his wife, barely even moving his head. "After all, they were kind enough to let our Scorpius stay with them last time round, were they not?"

She smiled at Scorpius and he felt his shoulders grow lighter, thanking his mother with all his heart. "They even made sure Scorpius got to King's Cross Station safely. I would think that it is our duty to return them with the same?"

Draco regarded Astoria for a moment and then placing his glasses back on his nose, snapped his book open, signaling the end of the conversation. Scorpius began to panic, thinking his father had not accepted Albus and Rose after all, but Draco interrupted his thoughts with a crisp, "Very well."

Scorpius pulled himself to his feet, thanked his father and walked around to where Astoria had stood up. She raised her arms and he stepped into her light embrace, whispering into her ear, "Thank you, mother."

She only smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

* * *

…And so, I would like to cordially invite you to spend these next two weeks with us in Malfoy Manor.

Of course, you will be coming with me to the station; our transport will be completely taken care of. Bring robes and atleast a pair of formal clothing with you just in case. I really hope you will send my owl back with positive news.

P.s, please tell me you're coming because I'm going mad here all on my own. I'm dying to see you.

Love,

Scorpius.

Albus and Rose had stared at the letter for a whole minute after they read it. Then they had reread it twice, to make sure there was nothing they had missed. From the extremely formal tone with which Scorpius had written, they were sure it quite literally was a cordial invitation to Malfoy Manor and rejecting it would probably lead to devastating circumstances.

Rose had stared at the postscript and reread the single line over and over again. It was the only part of the letter where Scorpius had bothered to write like a normal fourteen year old and under normal circumstances, Rose would probably have found the whole thing hilarious. But just then, she had looked at her cousin with fearful eyes and asked, "Oh, what shall I do? Dad will_ never_ let me go."

Albus had pursed his lips and looked at the letter again, flipping the parchment over. "Well… maybe he meant to invite just me…"

"But he's added my name in brackets!"

"But he's also just said 'you' throughout the whole letter, not 'you both', which might mean—"

"Albus you aren't helping one bit."

He had looked up at her sulking face and sighed. "Your dad is never going to let you go."

But by some miracle – because it was nothing short of a miracle – Harry and Hermione had convinced Ron to let Rose spend atleast the final week of summer with the Malfoys. Hermione had especially put forth a very convincing argument; "You owe them that much, Ron, after all the drama you put them through last summer."

Ron had finally – albeit extremely begrudgingly – decided to let Rose join the boys a week later.

So there she was, standing in the fireplace of an extremely fancy looking room, completely dumbfounded and stunned that she was actually in Malfoy Manor. For a week. With Scorpius and Albus.

"Rosie! You made it!"

Rose let Albus squash her in a bear hug, laughing. She looked behind him to see a grinning Scorpius. He held his arms out and Rose bounded into them, giggling when he picked her up and twirled her around.

"I cannot believe you're actually here!"

"You're telling me! You should've seen dad's face!"

They were still laughing when he put her down, their arms still around each other, when someone cleared their throat from the doorway.

Scorpius pulled away so sharply, Rose almost felt hurt by the sudden rejection. But when she looked up, she immediately knew why.

Draco and Astoria were standing just inside the door and Rose's immediate reaction was stunned surprise at how similar Scorpius and his father looked. Suddenly remembering where she was, she curtsied, smiling shyly and bowing her head slightly, said, "Thank you for having me, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. I'm Rose."

When she looked up, she could've sworn she had seen Draco's lips turn upwards, but his face was so devoid of any emotion, she might have imagined it. Astoria on the other hand, strode toward her and placing her hands on Rose's shoulders, kissed the air beside both of her cheeks. "It's wonderful to have you here, dear. My husband and I are very pleased." and then glancing over her shoulder she smile genially at her Draco and asked, "Are we not, Draco?"

Draco took a step forward, his arms crossed behind his back. He nodded curtly and said, "Of course."

"Mother, father, if you'll excuse us, I would like to show Rose to her room."

Rose was completely taken back at how polite and formal Scorpius's tone was. She turned to see that he was standing stock-still, barely even breathing, and his back straight as a rod. Astoria smiled at the three of them and stepped back, motioning toward the door. "Why, of course."

"Ah," Rose said, turning back to look at her trunk – but it was no longer there. Breathing shallowly, she smiled nervously at Astoria and followed Scorpius and Albus out the door. Just as she passed Draco, she made the mistake of looking up, and was rewarded with an extremely cold look of dislike. She shuddered and hurried behind her two best friends, willing herself to have a good summer.

* * *

"Is the food to your liking?"

Rose glanced up from her bowl of soup and returned Astoria's smile. "Yes, it's absolutely delightful, thank you."

Astoria's smile broadened and the corner of her eyes crinkled. Rose found herself smiling wider as well, affected by the woman's mirth.

Astoria Malfoy – Rose had come to find – was an extremely gentle and pleasant woman. She was nothing at all like Rose had imagined her to be, and immediately thanked the stars that Scorpius had taken after her. From the moment Astoria greeted her, Rose knew the woman liked her, because every time they ran into each other in the hallways or during dinner, Astoria always kept up a steady flow of amiable conversation with her.

Rose glanced to her side and was rewarded with a cool, intense look. She looked down at her bowl, intimidated by Draco.

Although her first reaction at seeing the older Malfoy was to immediately compare how identical he looked to his son, the likeness pretty much ended there. Where Draco was always stoic and severe, Scorpius joked around and laughed as much as his father didn't. Draco's eyes were what had taken Rose aback the most. They were a steely, metallic grey, cold and devoid of emotion; while Scorpius's were a shimmering, dancing, liquid silver that were quite literally a mirror to his soul. Draco also held himself with the pride of a Malfoy, while Scorpius – though behaved exceptionally like the heir to the Malfoy name he was, while around his parents – was much more carefree and much more pleasant to be around.

It had almost been a week since she arrived and she still constantly got lost in the maze of corridors, always finding herself wondering why in the world three people needed to live in such an eerily enormous house. As compared to the manor, the Burrow was much more like a home, even with its extremely cramped space and constant overpopulation. And once again, as she had several times before, she found herself standing before a portrait of one of the Malfoy ancestors, wondering where in bloody hell she was.

"Rose?"

"Oh, thank god!" she sighed in relief, as Scorpius materialized out of the shadows. She paused, giving him a once over like she found herself doing more often off late. He had grown much taller than when she first met him, a good head above her, and had built up a broader, wider physique, as compared to the scrawny, petite eleven year old she had first seen. His shoulders were wide and firm and his arms were long, yet muscular. She knew he had gained his muscle from playing Quidditch, as Albus was pretty much the same, except skinnier.

"I got lost," she whined, clinging to him. He laughed, and laid his hand on her back, pushing her in the opposite direction.

"I don't blame you," he chuckled, taking her hand from where it was tugging at his shirt and clasping it in his. "I've lived here all my life and still manage to get lost.

"Why do you even need such a big house? Just a normal sized one should be enough, no?"

Scorpius gawked at her and then gestured toward himself and the hallway they were in. "Malfoy? Malfoy Manor? Make sense?"

Rose rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. "You're not so much a Malfoy as I'm a Weasley."

"Did you just insult yourself while trying to smart-mouth me?"

Rose's cheeks coloured as she stuck out her bottom lip at him. He laughed and using his other hand, pulled her lip.

"Ew, you are so gross, Malfoy!"

"And this coming from a Weasley," was the instant come back and Rose huffed, muttering 'Git' under her breath. He sniggered at her and she punched his shoulder, making him tug her hair in turn.

By then they had reached a well-lit portion of the manor and Rose recognized the door of the room she was staying in. She turned slightly toward him, meaning to say goodnight, but he was staring at the strand of her hair in between his fingers. He twisted it once around his finger and said thoughtfully, "It's really grown out, hasn't it? And it isn't even red anymore."

"Yeah, mum told me it would get darker as I got older, but I didn't believe her, see, my dad's hair is still carrot coloured after all."

She grinned and he chuckled softly, untwisting and retwisting the strand.

"Scorpius," she said lightly, watching him play with the length of hair, a sense of peace settling over her.

"Hm?"

"It's time for bed."

"It is," he said, not really questioning her, but merely agreeing with what she had said.

"Yeah," she mumbled, suddenly feeling warm. She looked up at him when his finger stopped mid-twirl, and saw that he was looking down at her. She felt her breath catch and was suddenly reminded of the moment several months ago in Hogsmeade, where something similar had happened.

He bent forward slightly and panicking, she immediately leant backward. Scorpius's eyes widened, like he suddenly realized what he was doing, and pulled back. "Goodnight," he said in a strained voice and Rose nodded, her heart beating in her throat.

"Goodnight."

Scorpius stepped back slightly, as if he was going to leave, but for some reason couldn't. And Rose belatedly realized they were still holding hands. She slipped her hand out of his and hid it behind her back, biting her lip.

"Goodnight, Scorpius," she said softly, seemingly snapping him out of some sort of daze. He nodded awkwardly at her and stumbled away, mumbling a hasty goodnight to her. She watched him disappear around the corner and turned, meaning to open her door, but froze, as her brown eyes met cold, grey ones.

Draco stepped out of the shadows, his hands clasped behind his back. He never broke his gaze, and finally she dropped hers, as he came to stand several feet away from her.

Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, and she suddenly began panicking. Had he seen…? How long had he been standing there watching them? They hadn't done anything wrong, but just like the time in Hogsmeade; she knew a third person would misinterpret what had transpired between her and Scorpius. _She_ would have misinterpreted what had transpired between them if she didn't consciously force herself not to.

She waited for what seemed like hours, one hand clutching onto the doorknob for dear life while the other fiddled with her hair. She suddenly remembered the way Scorpius had played with it and felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Goodnight, Miss Weasley," Draco said in a clipped tone and Rose snapped her wide-eyes to look at him.

"Yes, er, I mean, goodnight Mr. Malfoy."

He looked at her with the same intense, probing gaze he had been directing toward her whenever they were in the same room, like he was dying to say something to her but thought better of it and remained silent. It made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle with unease and she always found it very uncomfortable even when she tried to ignore the intensity of his look.

Deciding that unlike every other time, this time she could actually escape, she mumbled a hasty excuse and ducked into her room, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it, her heart pounding.

There were so many things she didn't seem to understand and coming to Malfoy Manor had made her even more confused than she already was. The memory of Scorpius playing with her hair flashed through her mind again and she felt her throat constrict and found it hard to breathe.

She didn't understand what was going on in his head when he did things like that. So many times he had held her hand and so many times she had found his, but every time he would linger… his touch would linger, his gaze would linger… and the way his silver eyes would shimmer with that unknown emotion Rose could never seem to place… she had never noticed him look that way at anyone or anything else and she didn't know what to make of it.

She took a deep, shuddering breath and closed her eyes, her body feeling feverish all of a sudden. She flumped down on the bed and shut her eyes, her mind whirling with the thousands of unanswered questions that seemed to grow in a never ending pile, as she willed herself to sleep.

* * *

"Looks like that's the last of it," Astoria said, as the Muggle driver who had been hired to drive the three of them to King's Cross closed the hood of the fancy looking car over their trunks. Scorpius and Albus bid goodbye to Draco – which was basically a curt nod, a stiff handshake and an awkward word of thanks - and slid into the car, while Astoria pulled Rose into a soft embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered into Rose's ear and the girl pulled back, eyebrows raised in surprised shock.

"I should be the one—"

Astoria waved her off with a smile and said, "I wanted to say this the moment I saw you in our house, but the time never seemed right." Her eyes seemed to gleam with what looked like unshed tears and Rose swallowed thickly, her eyes getting watery as well. "Thank you for being such a good friend to our son," she continued, as Draco stepped up to have a word with the Muggle. "I've never seen him so… happy," she sighed, her face taking on an almost dreamy expression. "You and Albus have really helped that child and our family in ways you will never know."

Rose sniffed and found herself hugging the older woman again, who returned the embrace with a delighted laugh.

"I'm glad I came," she said softly and Astoria's eyes crinkled as she smiled, "As am I, child, as am I."

And as they drove off to another year at Hogwarts, Rose found herself glancing at Scorpius and seeing his mother's gentle smile, filled with kindness and warmth, in his.

* * *

**A/n: To be honest, I never really liked Astoria Malfoy much. But then I read this one fan fic that completely changed my opinion of her and so I decided that if there were people who feel the same way as I used to, I want to change that. I really think Astoria is a much gentler and kinder person, which I think is probably why Draco chose to marry her - after the war and everything he had been through. I also consider her someone who accepts Draco and the Malfoys irrespective of what they had done and wants to give them a chance that they so rightly deserve.**

**So yes, Astoria is one of my favorite characters although she wasn't mentioned at all except in the epilogue.**

**I hope you liked it!**

**Review and tell me what you think because as always, your opinions are far too precious to leave unvoiced!**

**P.s, look forward to Scorpius figuring out his feelings! #spoiler**

**Love love love~ **


	13. The Slug Club

**A/n: Ok guys. This is the chapter you've all been waiting for. This is the start of everything. Finally finally finally -cries-**

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**P.s, this chapter and the next couple are going to be in Scorpius's POV.**

**Enjoy!**

**Love~**

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**Chapter 13**

**The Slug Club**

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Rose skipped across the field outside Hogwarts, making her way to a particular tree that stood beside a rocky jetty, half away around the Great Lake. She shivered and pulled her coat tightly around her, as the cool November air ruffled her hair and making her way around the tree's wide trunk, plopped down on the grass, throwing her arm out and putting her weight on the person already seated there.

Scorpius groaned and pushed her off, turning back to his book. Rose giggled and sat cross-legged, turning to face the blond.

"Hi!"

Scorpius glanced up at her wearily and said slowly, "Hello…"

Rose placed her palms in front of her and leaned forward, her dark, chocolate brown eyes glittering with excitement. Scorpius held the strained smile on his face, a sense of foreboding settling over him. Deciding to get over with it quickly so he could return to his book, he leaned back and taking a deep breath, said, "Why, Miss Weasley is there something you would like to discuss with me?"

Rose laughed, bouncing on the spot. "As a matter of fact, there is, Mister Malfoy."

Scorpius waited patiently as she giggled, unable to contain her excitement. He felt an amused smirk tug at his lips from seeing her so childishly delighted.

"Have you heard? Did Al tell you?"

"Heard what? Tell me what?"

Rose tutted impatiently and smacked his arm. "He told me would! That horrible boy!"

"He would what?"

Rose whined at him, "Oh stop pretending! I know you would've heard by now!"

Scorpius frowned at her in confusion, not having the slightest clue what she was going on about. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rose."

"Oh for Merlin's sake! It's about the party!"

Scorpius tilted his head, now thoroughly confused. "What party?"

Rose pouted at him, poking him with her finger. "The Christmas Party!" she sat back, leaning to one side and sticking her lower lip out at him. Her long auburn hair brushed against the grass and Scorpius had a sudden urge to run his hands through it – which he immediately quelled, as he did every other sudden urge he had had off late.

"Slughorn's Christmas Party that everyone's been going on about?" he asked and saw her eyes light up.

It was a famously known fact that Horace Slughorn invited a select few students from years Four to Seven to a Christmas Party that he hosted only for his Slug Club – a group of elite students that he had hand picked and chosen based on either their personal achievements or any famous relatives they had, or in the case of the Potters and Weasleys, both.

The party was held every year religiously just before the Christmas break, on the 20th of December and only the members of the Slug Club and their dates – along with a few famous wizards who were ex-members or the like – were invited to attend. All year round students tried to get into Slughorn's good books, so they would be invited, as it was one of the most popular parties, considering that every single person who was ever part of the Slug Club had made a name for himself or herself outside of Hogwarts in one way or another. Not to mention the fact that he handed out highly praiseworthy recommendation letters to the ones who graduated from the Club.

The next generation Potters and Weasleys – starting from the oldest, Victoire - were all decided as definite members of the club before they were even invited. Victoire, who had been invited in her fifth year, turned out to be Head Girl; Dominique, who had been invited in her sixth year, had got an extremely gracious recommendation letter and was currently interning under one of the best Potions' masters in England; Molly who had been invited in her fifth year had been offered a very good spot in the Ministry; and Louis who had been invited in his fourth year, was currently Quidditch Captain and was an extremely viable candidate for Head Boy.

James and Fred had been invited to join the club that year as well, but unfortunately wouldn't be able to make it to the party because of an Under 17 Quidditch Training Camp they were attending along with Louis in Belgium during the winter. Rose, Scorpius and Albus themselves were a part of the Slug Club and although hadn't received the invites to the party as yet, were sure to get them in a week or two.

Rose sat upright, grinning delightedly and nodding her head vigorously. "Yes, that one! I'm so excited, aren't you?"

Scorpius raised his eyebrow at her and smirked. He honestly hadn't expected Rose of all people to get so excited about some party. She must have guessed what he was thinking, because she scooted forward and snatched the book from his hands.

"Oi! Give it back—"

"Who are you going with?"

Scorpius paused, his arms around Rose, trying to snatch the book she had hidden behind her back. He looked down at her and swallowed. Their faces were extremely close and he could feel his heating up. He cleared his throat and pulled back, raking a hand awkwardly through his hair. "I dunno… I was thinking of asking—"

"I knew it!" Rose suddenly shouted, getting to her feet and waving the book accusingly at him. "You were going to ask that Larcher girl, weren't you?"

Scorpius watched her wide-eyed, thoroughly bewildered about why she was getting so offended about something he hadn't even said. "Why would you possibly think that?"

Rose huffed and crossed her arms, jutting her chin out and sulking. Scorpius sighed and patted the grass beside him. "Rose, c'mere."

She glowered at him for half a minute and then grudgingly plopped down beside him, staring straight at the lake. He reached out and tugged her hair, wrapping it around his finger and pulled, so she was forced to look at him.

"I don't know from where you got this ridiculous idea that I was taking Stephanie Larcher to Slughorn's Christmas Party, but you should probably know that the very thought of her hasn't even crossed my mind."

Rose stared at him wide eyes, gauging if he was lying. Satisfied that he wasn't, she leant closer to him so it didn't hurt her that he still had a hold of her hair and said, "Really?"

Scorpius scoffed at her and tugged again, making her yell out at the sharp pain. "Really, you dope. I can't believe you thought even for one minute that I would ask her of all people to go with me."

Rose grinned at him, trying to pry her hair out of his hand. "Well thank goodness for that. I really do not like that girl."

Scorpius rolled his eyes and she asked, "So who will you take then?"

The question took him aback and he loosened the grip on her hair, allowing her to pull it free with an exclamation of triumph. Realising he hadn't answered, Rose looked up curiously and cocked her head to the side. "Scorpius?"

"I was wondering—who are you going with?"

Scorpius felt his heart thump in his chest as Rose blushed and ducked her head. "Who?" he asked again, hoping she didn't hear the way his voice cracked.

Apparently she hadn't, because she bit her lip and said shyly, "You know that Fifth year Chaser on your team?"

Scorpius raised his eyebrows, his mind immediately running through the names of the three Fifth years that were Chasers on the Slytherin team. When he didn't respond, she continued slowly, "You know… that one who Lily was overly friendly with last year and I asked Al to have a word with him?"

Scorpius brows shot up to his hairline and he asked unsurely, "Hanners?"

Rose's cheeks turned a deep red and she nodded, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Scorpius felt his blood boil and he immediately started thinking of ways to hex the other boy without him knowing who did it.

"How come?" he asked instead; hearing how strained his voice sounded even to his ears.

"I dunno," Rose shrugged, biting her lip. "After Al had a chat with him I still thought I had a duty to do so as well and one day when I saw him in the library, I thought I would give him a piece of my mind, but…" she trailed off, smiling and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"But you decided that he wasn't so bad after all and you would like to ask him to the Slug Club's Christmas Party?"

Rose's head snapped up, her eyes swimming with confusion, at the cold tone of Scorpius's voice. "That's not—I didn't—I only asked him because Al said the two of you got along and I know how you hate these gatherings…"

"Oh, so you asked him for _me_ did you?"

Rose's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she shook her head, unsure of what she had said to make him so upset. "Scorpius, what—"

"Well I guess that's alright then," he snapped, rising to his feet and snatching his book from the grass beside her. He sneered down at her, his eyes turning cold, "Maybe I'll go ask Stephanie after all, since you didn't bother asking _me_ how _I_ felt about you going to the party with Hanners."

And he strode off, his head throbbing and his jaw clenched.

"Scorpius, wait!"

He heard Rose come after him, but he didn't bother slowing down. He marched all the way to the Slytherin Common Room, his ears ringing from his silent rage. He saw Albus sitting at the table closest to one of the fireplaces and marching up to him, slammed his book on the table. Albus jumped, along with the three boys he had been talking to, and they stared at Scorpius with bewildered expressions.

"A word," Scorpius hissed, jerking his head toward one of the empty tables. Albus frowned, but nodded and stood up. They sat in the armchairs and Albus stared silently at Scorpius, waiting for him to say what was on his mind. Scorpius sighed, rubbing his face and closing his eyes.

"Rose asked Hanners to go to Slughorn's party with her."

Albus's brows furrowed, and Scorpius guessed this was the first time he was hearing of it as well. A thoughtful expression overcame his face and he leaned forward, staring at the slender vase on the table in between them.

"Is that why she kept pestering me about him?"

"She spoke to you about him?"

Albus looked up at Scorpius and nodded. "Yeah. She asked me if you and Hanners got along and I said you did, and then she just thanked me and ran off. Didn't know she meant to ask him to be her date." Albus's eyes flashed and Scorpius sighed. So Rose had been telling the truth after all. She really had only invited Hanners because Scorpius got along with him.

"I really don't know what goes on in that head of hers," he muttered, staring at his hands.

"What's wrong, mate? I haven't seen you this angry in a long time. Did Rose say something?"

Scorpius shook his head, laughing humourlessly. "She told me she had asked Hanners to the party and I just exploded." He closes his eyes, letting his head hand limply. "She even told me she had asked him only because you told her I liked him."

"Well don't you?"

Scorpius snorted and smirked at Albus, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I do. Atleast, I thought so."

Albus's eyes flickered with a strange emotion and he sat forward, regarding Scorpius for a moment before asking, "Do you fancy her?"

"What? Who?"

"Rose."

Scorpius frowned at Albus, shaking his head in confusion. "What's with this all of a sudden—"

"It's not really sudden at all, though," Albus murmured, his dark green eyes taking on a brooding expression. "I've been meaning to ask you this since last Christmas, but one way or another I didn't know how." He shrugged, sitting back and crossing his legs. "So? Do you?"

Scorpius stared back at his best mate stupidly. "Do I what?"

Albus made an annoyed sound in his throat and repeated, "Do you fancy Rose?"

Scorpius sat back slowly, staring into the flickering flames. Did he like Rose? He had never thought about it before. Whenever he was with her he felt more like himself than with anyone else. He could laugh freely and speak his mind and she would never judge him. Even in the very beginning, when she disliked him, he found her endearing because of what she had done for him in First year, when he had been bullied.

He had to admit to himself, there were moments when he suddenly wanted to hold her hand or touch her hair or hug her for no reason, but he had only thought that was because he had never had a female friend of his own age before that he was so close too.

Now that he thought of it… that time in Hogsmeade and the time in Malfoy Manor as well… something unknown had passed between them and he had known she had sensed it too. He had reacted without thinking and he had seen the way her eyes had gone round with fear. He hadn't been able to place his feelings back then as anything more than a dull ache in his chest. He longed to be with her, to spend time with her, to listen to her laugh and talk endlessly… it was like he couldn't get enough of her.

Scorpius found himself laughing, shaking his head as he placed his elbows on his knees and leaned against them.

"Scorpius," Albus said wearily and Scorpius smiled unhappily at him.

"Sorry mate, but I think I do."

Albus's eyes widened and for an instant the blond thought he would strike him, but then the Potter simply fell back in his chair, closing his eyes tiredly.

"You only just realized, didn't you?"

Scorpius nodded when Albus looked at him and the latter clucked his tongue. "I can't believe you didn't figure it out till just now. I'll bet Rose is just as clueless, being the dunderhead she is."

Scorpius chuckled. "Rose? What do you mean?"

Albus raised his brows in exasperation and Scorpius expected him to snap at him, but instead he said resignedly, "If you had seen the way you both were looking at each other when I found you near the Shrieking Shack…" he shook his head, and rested it against his hand, looking thoroughly exhausted.

Scorpius sat back and wondered when his feelings for Rose had changed, and suddenly began to wonder if his feelings had been the same from the day they met. Disconcerted, he leaned forward and said, "Hey Al?"

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

And he had to dodge the shoe thrown at him.

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**A/n: Of course Al figured it out before the two of them did. Duh. And just a warning, but things get really dramatic after this and everything escalates super fast so don't fall off your chairs or something. -solemn face- you have been warned.**

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**Love~**

**P.s, I'm already working on two other Scorpius and Rose stories and will post them as soon as I have enough chapters. Just a heads up. So in case you wanna read em, then follow me so you get notified when I post new stories!**


	14. The Christmas Party

**A/n: This chapter is almost twice as long as the ones so far and I think the upcoming ones vary from 2.5-3.5k words, so brace yourselves!**

**This chapter is from Scorpius's POV again and the narration is slightly different from the previous ones. You'll know why as you read.**

**Thank you so much for all the wonderul reviews, favorites and follows! You guys are amazing!**

**Love~**

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**Chapter 14**

**The Christmas Party**

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Scorpius tapped his foot impatiently, glancing at the large clock that hung on the wall above the fireplace of their Common Room for the n-th time. Finally losing his patience, he strode over to the dorm room he shared with Albus and threw open the door, satisfied when he heard the startled yelp.

"Albus, it's already past eight. How much longer is this going to take?"

"Bugger off, Scorpius. I'm almost done."

Scorpius rolled his eyes and picked up Albus's suit pant off the floor. "What, you're wearing just your shirt then? I know they said black tie, but they didn't mean _only_ a tie—"

Albus threw his pillow at Scorpius – who caught it effortlessly and tossed it back on the bed – and turned back to the mirror, trying to flatten his unkempt hair. Scorpius sighed and stepped forward, pulling his wand out and Accio-ing the bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion For Absolutely Tame Hair: Formula 4 from Albus's trunk.

He then poured a generous amount of it onto his hands, rubbed them together and ran them through Albus's hair, making sure to aim his wand and mutter flattening charms every now and then. He finally stepped back, regarding Albus with a look of scrutiny.

"There, that's that. Now will you hurry up?"

Scorpius gave Albus a whole ten seconds to admire his perfectly tame hair before raising his wand-hand and flexing it. Albus shot him a horrified look. "What're you doing?!"

"Threatening you."

And in twenty minutes, Albus was completely dressed and they were standing outside the enchanted archway that led to Slughorn's party. They watched as the Professor ambled toward them, waving them in and calling, "Come in, come in!"

Scorpius watched as the enchantment fluttered and they stepped through it, feeling the warmth of the spells as they passed through. Since it had become a huge problem when uninvited students somehow kept showing up at the party every year, Slughorn had asked the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to cast a set of security spells on the arch way. Nobody could enter inside unless Slughorn himself allowed him or her in.

"I almost thought you boys weren't coming!" Slughorn chortled, though there was a hard glint in his eye.

"We're awfully sorry, Professor. We ran into some… technical trouble," Scorpius drawled easily, glancing sideways at a nervously laughing Albus.

"Oh, never mind, never mind," Slughorn said, waving them off. "Enjoy the parties lads! I'll be back with you in a moment!"

He hobbled off toward a tall, Russian looking wizard and Scorpius and Albus made their way to the back of the room, where the food was kept. Albus shamelessly began shoveling food onto his plate, and Scorpius stole a blueberry crumpet from the other's plate and bit into it indulgently, closing his eyes and savouring the rich taste.

"Merlin bless us…"

Scorpius glanced toward Albus and saw him looking behind them at something, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Curious, Scorpius turned around, and his entire body went rigid, as his eyes landed on the pair who had just entered.

Scorpius's gaze completely skipped past Hanners and landed on Rose – his lip twitched with irritation as he noted that she was holding onto his arm.

Rose looked absolutely breathtaking. There was no other word to describe her. She was wearing a short black velvet dress that hugged her body and accentuated her gentle curves. The bodice stopped just below her chest where a red velvet ribbon was tied, and continued on in gentle folds till just above her knees. She was wearing black high-heeled shoes and had done something to her hair, making it fall over her shoulders in delicate ringlets all the way down to her waist. She had placed a simple black band on her head with a small red rose on it and her only accessory was – Scorpius choked on his crumpet – the silver charm bracelet Scorpius had given her for Christmas two years ago.

His breath hitched when her eyes turned to land on him and her smile faltered ever so slightly. Scorpius immediately smiled tightly and waved, just to rid her of her discomfort. She seemed to relax considerably after that and turned back to speak to Slughorn.

Scorpius turned toward the table, picking a slender glass of shimmering liquid and gulped it down, not bothering to taste it.

"Did you just gulp down a glass of champagne?"

He jumped, spinning around wide-eyed and stared down at Rose. Because of her shoes, she was four inches taller than usual and came up to his mouth level.

"Rose," he choked, awkwardly wiping his hand against his jacket.

Ever since the incident at the lake, Scorpius had been avoiding Rose as much as possible. He would talk to her when he had no choice, but otherwise strictly remained in the Slytherin Common Room whenever he could.

"Hi Scorpius," she said, smiling up at him shyly and he felt like a boulder had been lifted off his shoulders. How much he had missed her smile.

"Hi Rose," he grinned, stretching out his arms. She instantly let out a little sob and launched herself into his awaiting embrace.

"Woah," he exclaimed stepping back and placing his hand on the table steady them. "Easy there," he said softly, as she looked up at him with shimmering eyes.

"I missed you," she whispered, her eyes glistening. He immediately began to panic and straightened up, pulling her close against him.

"I'm sorry."

"You've been avoiding me."

Scorpius grimaced, knowing he couldn't lie his way out of the inevitable conversation that was coming, and nodded solemnly. "Yeah…"

"Is it because I asked Hanners without telling you?"

Scorpius swallowed, staring back into her large, sad eyes. "No," he said, wincing when his voice cracked. Her brows furrowed and she leaned closer, "Then why?"

"Because I wanted to ask you to go with me, but you'd already asked…" Scorpius waved his hand in the general direction Hanners was in. When he looked back at her, Rose's expression was different. Her mouth was slightly parted and an array of emotions was flitting across her dark eyes.

"Look," Scorpius said urgently, not wanting the situation to get any more awkward than it already was, "It was my mistake. I was just so sure you would go with me and I had teased Al about him having to go stag and everything, so I was just sort of pissed, that's all."

"Oh," Rose said, and he watched her lips form the O and back, suddenly realising they were a brighter red than normal. He looked up and noticed that there was a tinge of a darker shade of pink on her cheeks and her eyelashes looked thicker and longer.

"Are you wearing make-up?" he asked in an astonished voice.

Rose blushed and looked away, pouting. Scorpius found himself having to swallow back the urge to kiss her.

"So what if I am?"

"Nothing, it suits you."

She looked up, her eyes widening at the compliment. "It does?"

"Yeah. You really look beautiful."

Rose flushed, biting her lip. It was really distracting when she did that – and she did it a lot. _She must not even realize how much of a habit it's become_, he thought bitterly.

"Thank you," she said softly, bowing her head. He reached out and ran a finger through her curls.

"I like what you're done with your hair," he murmured, twisting the copper coloured strand.

"Dominique showed me how last Christmas," she said shyly, watching him play with her hair.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They just stood there, Scorpius twisting and untwisting her hair and she watching him, like it was the most fascinating thing in the whole world.

Someone cleared their throat behind Rose and they both jolted out of their daze, looking up to see Hanners staring at them with a strange expression. He turned to Rose and addressed her, although his eyes lingered on Scorpius.

"Weasley, care to accompany me for a dance?"

"Oh," Rose said, suddenly flustered, "I—yes, yes I would." She turned back and looked at Scorpius, as though asking him if he minded. He smiled and then motioned toward Hanners. She smiled back and went, causing his chest to clench. Hanners looked back at Scorpius one last time and then followed Rose to the dance floor.

As soon as they joined the crowd swaying to the music in the middle, the band started up a loud, fast paced song and Scorpius winced as his heart thumped with the pounding rhythm.

He glanced sideways and saw Albus staring at him from the balcony with the same expression he had worn when he had asked the blond if he liked Rose. Albus motioned for Scorpius to join him and picking two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, Scorpius moved outside, undoing his tie slightly. He held out one glass to Albus and the latter said, "That's champagne."

"Oh really?" Scorpius smirked, sipping at the drink in his other hand. Albus regarded him mildly and then took the glass, sipping it too. His eyes widened in surprise and he stared at the golden liquid with an open mouth. "What is this? It's fantastic!"

Scorpius laughed at the innocent remark and leaned against the railing, twirling the golden liquid around.

"So," Albus started, leaning back against the adjacent beam of the railing. "Hanners didn't look too pleased."

"What, that Rose ignored him for me?"

"And that his date was sharing an intimate moment with another guy," Albus said matter-of-factly, raising his glass to his mouth and watching Scorpius's evenly. Scorpius felt his face grow hot and he cleared his throat, gulping down the rest of the drink.

"Oi," Albus said, frowning in concern. Scorpius waved him off, shaking his head.

"I'm fine. Tell me more about this… intimate moment," he said in the same tone of voice Albus had used, raising his eyebrows at him. Albus rolled his eyes, finished his drink as well and motioned for a waiter. He replaced the two empty glasses with full ones and held out one to Scorpius.

"Your parents would burst an artery, if they knew you were drinking," Scorpius said, smirking with mild amusement.

Albus shrugged, grinning cheekily. "What they don't know, won't kill them, right?"

"Aye," Scorpius agreed, raising his glass. Albus laughed and mirrored the action, and they both took another long swig.

"So you really do like her then," Albus said simply, looking toward where Rose had just stepped off the dance floor - laughing.

"Yeah.." Scorpius murmured, following his gaze. She looked up just then and saw them looking her way. She grinned and waved and Albus waved back. Hanners turned to see who Rose was waving at and noticing Scorpius, pulled her back toward the dance floor, his jaw set.

"I shouldn't have let her get so close to him," Albus rumbled and Scorpius scoffed.

"Oh yeah, because she would have definitely listened to what you had to say."

Albus regarded him with burning emerald eyes and said, "No, but I could've threatened Hanners. My father's the great Harry Potter after all."

"Didn't think you were the kind to use your father's name to get things done."

Albus raised his eyebrows challengingly at Scorpius, and the latter laughed. They stood there for longer, listening to the music blaring through the speakers and the murmurs of chatter that were barely heard over the sound.

"You should tell her," Albus said eventually, bobbing his head in time with the best.

Scorpius eyed him sideways, and when the other boy didn't look at him, sighed and said, "I swear on my pride as a Malfoy that I will _kill_ you if you even so much as hint to her that someone likes her."

"Hanners likes her. And your pride as a Malfoy is probably the worst thing you could use as a threat."

"Hanners is different. And I may not show it, but I do have more than enough pride," Scorpius growled and Albus finally looked at him, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"How?" he asked, clearly ignoring the part about the pride.

"He isn't me," Scorpius snapped, more sarcastically than as an actual reply, but Albus nodded as if he agreed to it.

"That's true. And he's not going to get anywhere either, considering Rose only has eyes for you."

Scorpius snarled, pushing away from the rail and grabbed Albus by the collar. He was feeling slightly light-headed and there was a buzzing in his ears. Albus looked at him with wide, alarmed eyes. "Scor—"

"Stop doing that," Scorpius hissed, cutting Albus off.

"Doing what?"

"Telling me stuff like that."

Albus looked at him in confusion and Scorpius grit his teeth. "Stop saying stuff like 'Rose is just being clueless' or 'Rose has eyes only for you'!"

He shoved Albus hard and stepped back, running both hands through his hair and trying to breathe evenly.

Albus was watching him hesitantly, unsure of whether he'd act violently again. But Scorpius squatted down, propping his elbows on his knees and letting his head drop.

"Scorpius," Albus said from above him, his voice laced with worry.

"I'm fine," Scorpius grunted, although his whole body was feeling extremely hot. He stood up suddenly, knocking his head into Albus's nose – who stumbled back, swearing and clutching at his face – and pulled off his tie and jacket.

Albus reached toward him and asked nasally, "What are you doing?!"

"Hot," Scorpius muttered, undoing the top two buttons of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves. He filled his cheeks with air and blew out, ruffling his hair from its usual slicked back perfection. Albus grabbed his arm and motioned toward the table just inside the room.

"Let's sit for a while."

Scorpius nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow and slumped into the chair, watching Albus grab a couple of napkins and dab at his nose, making a pained expression. Scorpius tapped his own nose, grinning lopsidedly at his friend, "Sorry 'bout that."

Albus tossed one of the bloodied napkins at him and Scorpius dodged to the side, bumping his head against something soft and warm. He groaned, pulling himself up, feeling like his body weighed a ton. Albus was staring off to the side Scorpius had fallen toward. He looked up to see a flushed Rose, goggling down at him. He grinned cheekily at her, propping his elbow on the table and leaning against it.

"Scorpius, are you drunk?"

"Hnng."

Rose snapped her head toward Albus. "Is he drunk? And what in Merlin's name happened to your nose?!"

Albus muttered something incomprehensible and looked away. Rose made a strangled sound and clutching Scorpius's shoulder, instructed him to get up.

"Wehre'we goin'," Scorpius mumbled, rising unsteadily to his feet. Maybe he should've eaten something first before throwing back so many glasses of champagne.

"Hanner," Rose called shrilly and Scorpius's head snapped up. "I'm fine," he growled, pulling away roughly and weaving through the throng of moving bodies. He could hear Rose call out to him, but he was too agitated to care.

"Hello," someone said, stepping in front of him and Scorpius glanced down to see a really pretty blonde smiling up at him. "You're Scorpius, aren't you," she half-shouted, leaning extremely close to him. He nodded, swallowing thickly and regretting not remaining with Rose. "I'm Olivia," the girl said, leaning completely into Scorpius. He tried to push her off, but she only giggled and grabbing his arm, began to lead him away.

"Where are we going?" he managed to shout toward her, but she only tossed her head back with a laugh and dragged him to some sort of alcove that was fit snugly behind thick curtains. He knew what was going on and when she tripped and giggled, realized she was sloshed. He stared down at her, wondering how to get himself out of the situation, when he properly looked at her for the first time.

She was probably a year or two older than him, but was still a foot shorter, despite her scary looking shoes. She had straight, back length blonde hair and big, glittering, murky, wine red eyes that almost looked violet in the light. She also had an extremely tiny waist and was sticking her chest out – as though the neck of her dress wasn't low-cut enough – and clinging onto him.

"Listen," he told her, but she continued to giggle and push up against him. Irritated, he pushed her off and she banged back against the wall. He opened his mouth to apologize, worried that he had been too rough, but instead, her eyes darkened and her mouth spread into a slow smile, as she stretched her arm out, grabbed him by the collar and pulled her against him.

Drunk girls weren't supposed to be that strong, he was sure, but he still crashed against her, his body still feeling heavy and out of his control. He tried to wrestle her off, but she took him by surprise, smashing her lips against his. His eyes widened in surprise, and he tried to push her off, but she had wound both her arms and legs around and him and he couldn't move away from her without peeling her away.

"Scorpius—"

Scorpius heard the curtains being drawn and his blood ran cold as he saw the expression on Rose's face. She gasped, looking from Olivia – who was draped all over Scorpius – and then at the blond, her eyes widening with betrayal. Behind her he saw Albus staring at him, his face twisting into an ugly expression.

"Wait—" he tried, struggling to get rid of Olivia, but completely failing.

"Excuse me," Rose spat, pulling back the curtains and returning the alcove into darkness. Scorpius rounded on Olivia, grabbing her hands and snapping them away from him.

"Listen to me, you—"

But Olivia doubled over and retched all over his shoes and the curtains, effectively cutting him off. Scorpius closed his eyes and held his breath, willing back his own need to throw up. Then sending a mental apology to Slughorn for his curtains, Scorpius pulled his wand out of the waistband of his pants and aiming in the general direction of his shoes, muttered, _"Scourgify."_

Most of the vomit on his leather shoes and the carped disappeared as the cleaning spell instantly took effect. He held Olivia's head up and cast the cleaning spell on her as well. Then, picking up an empty glass from the table just outside the curtains, he pointed into it and said, _"Augumenti,"_ waiting for it to fill with water before helping the girl drink it.

Once she looked like she had calmed down and wouldn't be sick again, he stuffed his wand back in his pants and bending down, picked her up princess style. He was surprised at how light she was as he shoved past the curtains and made his way to the archway. He knew people were staring and he was honestly too tired to care. As he reached the arch he saw Slughorn talking to Albus and Rose and felt his stomach drop.

Sighing, he made his way toward them with a tight smile. Slughorn noticed him first and greeted him jovially, casting an amused glance at the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Oh my, oh my, quite a party, is it not?"

Scorpius's face hurt from his attempt to keep the smile on his face. "Maybe next time you should skip the alcohol, Professor. We _are _under-age after all," Scorpius said coolly, and stepping toward the archway, said, "Can you tell me which house this girl belongs to, sir? I don't think she'll be too happy to wake up tomorrow in the Slytherin Dungeons."

"No, of course not, of course not," Slughorn said, regarding her with mildly curious interest. "Ah, this girl," he scrunched up his nose and Scorpius knew Slughorn had just mentally scratched her name off the list of members of the Slug Club. "Let me see, let me see.. Oh yes, it's the Barnes girl, Olivia Barnes. She's a Ravenclaw I think," he added, his eyes flashing.

Scorpius nodded once and thanked him before walking out. He hadn't gotten very far, before he hard footsteps hurry toward him.

"Scorpius!"

He paused, without turning back. Rose caught up to him, doubling over and wincing at her feet. Scorpius groaned, shifting Olivia's weight in his arms.

"Need help?"

They turned to see Albus slink upto them, a hard to read expression on his face. Scorpius was too tired to care if he had just offered to be polite, but he immediately said 'Yes' and dumped her in the other boy's arms. He groaned, rubbing his forearms. Maybe she hadn't been as light as he thought.

"The Ravenclaw Tower is to the west, " Rose mumbled, and the boys looked at her curiously. She coloured and shrugged, muttering something like, 'Lorcan and Lysander told me so.' Scorpius shot Albus a look and he shrugged, walking in the direction of the West tower.

"Are you OK?" Scorpius asked Rose as she limped beside him.

She grimaced at him and said, "I'm not used to wearing high heels."

He regarded her for a moment and deciding it didn't matter anyway, squatted on the ground, moving his arms apart and looking over his shoulder at her. Rose stared at him.

"Well, get on then."

She hesitated very briefly, before succumbing to the pain and climbing onto his back. He hooking his arms around her legs and stood up, hefting her higher onto his back. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, her chin resting on his shoulder. Albus turned around and goggled at them, looking like he wanted to say something, but marched on without opening his mouth.

As they made their way toward Ravenclaw Tower, thanking their stars that they had to pass through open spaces and had the light of the moon to guide them, Scorpius cleared his throat and said softly, "Sorry."

He heard Rose's breath catch and waited patiently for her to reply.

"She was drunk," was what she said and he faltered, nearly tripping over a particularly uneven flagstone. He tilted his head toward her, his eyes wide, trying not to think about the fact that her face was a breath away from his.

"_That_ was what you thought I was apologizing for?"

Rose frowned at him. "That _wasn't_ what you were apologizing for?"

He scoffed, unable to comprehend exactly how her brain worked. "I was apologizing for drinking the champagne and for behaving the way I did."

Rose nodded slowly. "Yes, which is what I meant as well."

"No, you thought I was apologizing because you saw us behind those curtains."

"So you _aren't_ apologizing for kissing her?"

He just stared at her, shaking his head in disbelief. He chuckled humourlessly, not tearing his eyes from hers, and said in a low voice, "_She_ kissed _me _and yes, it wasn't my fault that she was drunk."

"You were drunk too."

"I wasn't drunk!"

"Oi, do you want to get expelled?! Shut the hell up and hurry up!"

Scorpius swore under his breath, turning away and striding down the dimly lit corridor. He felt Rose pull back slightly from him, so her chin was no longer resting on his shoulder.

"Don't move, or I'll drop you," he snapped, the sentence coming out much harsher than he had intended it to be, and he felt Rose go very still, her hands clutching his shoulders.

He sighed. He felt physically, mentally and emotionally drained.

_It's no wonder I hate these parties, _he thought morosely.

By the time they reached Ravenclaw tower, it was almost daybreak and they saw a girl in her nightclothes stand up from the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She saw Olivia in Albus's arms and immediately rushed forward, looking thoroughly flustered.

"Oh my goodness, is she OK?!"

"She's just drunk," Scorpius grumbled and the girl looked at him wide-eyed, nodding apologetically.

"I'm so extremely sorry you had to carry her all the way here."

"It's not like we could just _leave_ her. Slytherin or not, we have enough common sense."

The girl looked affronted and Albus shot Scorpius a withering look. He let Olivia down gently and she stirred, mumbling incoherently under her breath. Together Albus and the girl helped her climb up the winding staircase toward the Common Room.

"You can put me down now."

Scorpius immediately let go of Rose and she slid down to the floor, wincing as she stood up straight. Scorpius ruffled his hair in frustration and kneeling down, stretched his arm out, looking at her feet. He motioned for her to raise her leg and then slipped one shoe off, then the other. He then slipped his own shoes off and told Rose to wear them, gesturing at his socks.

"We should have done this in the first place," he said tiredly, sitting down on the stairs. Rose sat down beside him and they stared down at her feet, which looked ridiculous in Scorpius's overly large shoes. He chuckled lightly and she giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder. He shifted so she was more comfortable and placed his head against hers, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

They sat there like that, almost asleep, till Albus came clambering down the stairs and woke them up.

* * *

**A/n: Yes, i took the liberty of adding in two new characters into their little tangle. Although there are ups and downs emotion wise in this chapter, it ended on a happier note. And in case you're wondering, yes he was pretty drunk from the first glass of champagne itself, he just didn't want to admit it. Boys. -shakes head-**

**Also, in case you're thinking "Why in the world would there be alcohol at a party that's full of underage witches and wizards," I have one word for you. Horace Slughorn. (OK that was two, but you get my point. The old ditz probably thought it would be fun to have alcohol since everyone one there was considered to be elite or whatever who knows what goes on his marshmallow head.) But yes, they aren't allowed to drink more than a glass or two or generally just stay clear of it. I just made Scorpius get drunk because hell, who doesn't want to see a drunk Scorpius eh?**

**Yes, Rose is still one big bundle of confused feelings, but that'll be sorted out eventually - or will it? -evil smile-**

**You know what to do!**

**Love love love~**


	15. Sudden Confrontation

**A/n: Have to mention something important before going ahead with this chapter: I will be posting another Scorpius and Rose story tomorrow, so I just thought I'd give you all a heads up on that. It's called 'Lithium' and- well, you'll know the rest as you read it (if you do)**

**Anyway, thank you for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favorites!**

**Let me know what you think because it always matters!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Sudden Confrontation**

* * *

"So, I heard you and Hanners are an item now?"

Rose spluttered and coughed, choking on her own spit. She turned beet red, glaring at a smirking Lily.

"Who told you that," she demanded and the younger girl shrugged, her eyes twinkling slyly.

"So, it's true then?"

"No! It's absolute rubbish!"

"Maybe, but it's only a matter of time before he asks you to be his girlfriend," Lily said sneakily, sitting on the table and dangling her legs. "The whole school knows he fancies you."

Rose sighed. "Lily, why are you here?"

Lily shrugged, the smirk still in place. "Any one can use the library."

"Yes, but you can't sit on the tables," Rose hissed, pushing the younger girl off and looking around to see if the librarian had spotted them.

"Oh, you worry too much, Rosie."

"And you worry too little, Lily! Your exams are coming up, have you begun studying yet?"

Lily made a face and lay her head down on the cool wood. "James said I should take it easy while I can."

"And since when have you ever listened to what James had to say?!"

Lily tapped her chin and pretended to think before replying, "Only when it suits my convenience."

Rose eyed her cousin wearily, completely agreeing with the Sorting Hat's decision to put her in Slytherin.

"So," Lily started again, when Rose turned to her book. "Tell me about you and Scorpius."

Rose felt herself flush, but continued to stare at her book and refused to answer.

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend," Lily mused out loud a minute later and Rose's head snapped up, a very unpleasant memory of Scorpius snogging an extremely pretty Ravenclaw coming to mind. She turned back to her book, flipping through the pages furiously.

"I'm sure he doesn't."

"Why?"

"Because he would have told me if he did."

"Really?"

Rose glared at Lily and pointed in the general direction of the door. "Leave."

Seeming to have had enough fun tormenting her dear cousin for the moment, Lily grinned, hugged Rose swiftly and ran away.

'_Did she simply come here to needle me?'_ Rose wondered, seeing as how Lily had just upped and left without any objection or argument.

"May I join you?"

Rose felt her breath still as the familiar voice sounded to her right. She fixed a pleasant smile on her face and looked up to see Devin Hanners smiling down at her. She nodded, gesturing toward the chair opposite her.

"Of course, please."

He chuckled lightly as he sat, earning a curious look from Rose.

"You're always so polite to everyone," he commented, leaning forward and smiling. Rose wasn't sure if it was a compliment or just an observation. She figured it was most likely the latter.

"Is that so? I suppose I'm just used to speaking that way."

Something flickered in his eyes and his expression turned serious. "You don't talk to Malfoy that way."

Rose noticed how he had very conveniently left out Albus. But then, everyone knew they were related so it wasn't actually that much of a big deal.

"Well, he and I have been friends for four years now. So I suppose I just don't find the need to go out of my way to be polite with him."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "So you find a need to go out of your way to be polite with me?" he smiled mildly at her and she smiled tightly back.

She knew how everyone had been talking about her and Hanners being a couple. She was sure this had something – if not everything – to do with Hanners telling everyone who would listen that she had invited him to Slughorn's Christmas party. The party was quite a big deal, so of course everyone had been curious as to why she had taken him along. She also didn't like how he had conveniently left out the part where he had been abandoned at the party – she had genuinely forgotten about him with everything that had happened and left.

She also found the fact that he would twist everything she did or said and return it to her as a question, very trying. Bloody Slytherins.

"No, I didn't say that."

"Maybe, buy you're not denying it either."

She could feel the smile slipping off her face so she turned to her book with an, "I'm sorry, but I have quite a lot to study so…"

"Rose."

Rose looked up, irked by the fact that Hanners had called her by her first name. He must have noticed, because he smiled politely and asked, "Do you mind if I call you that?"

'_Of course I mind! Isn't it completely obvious that I mind?!'_

"Of course not."

"Then, you can call me Devin."

'_I don't want to call you Devin! Go away!'_

"Alright then."

Hanners tilted his head, an expectant look on his face.

'…_Is he really waiting for me to call him by his name?'_

"Devin," Rose finally said crisply, when she saw no other way out of the situation. Hanners' smile widened and he leaned forward to rest his chin on his arms and stare at Rose.

"Yes?"

"What?"

"You called me."

"Well yes, I did—but that was only because you looked like you wanted me to!"

"Did I?"

Rose let her mouth fall open, as she not so subtly revealed her exasperation with him. But Hanners only chuckled, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"You must find me extremely frustrating," he remarked casually, as though he was commenting on the weather. Rose bit her tongue to stop herself from agreeing with him.

"But," Hanners said, finally standing up. Rose let herself visibly relax and saw that his smile faltered slightly because of it. "I suppose I like it that I'm the only person who can irk you and still know I can have another conversation with you."

Rose had barely registered what he had said, her eyes looking past him and at the person walking toward them. Speaking of being the only person who could irk her and get away with it…

She felt her face split into the first, actual smile since Lily had arrived, and Hanners must have noticed that she wasn't paying attention to him, because he followed her gaze and looked over his shoulder.

Scorpius was striding toward them, an amused smirk on his face. Hanners shifted in such a way that he blocked her view of the blond and Rose immediately leaned to her far right, seeing that Scorpius did the same while still making his way toward where she was. He shot Hanners a look and then ducking his head, made a weird swishing motion with his hand. Rose figured he was probably trying to tell her to play along. She giggled and stood up, not needing to be told twice, completely forgetting that she was in mid-conversation with Hanners.

"Hi Scorpius," She said cheerily, clasping her hands behind her back and going on tip toes as he walked straight up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi Rose," he said softly into her ear and she could hear the laughter in his voice. Hanners cleared his throat behind them.

Scorpius pulled away, his arms still around Rose's waist and looked at Hanners as though seeing him for the first time.

"Oh, if it isn't my dear friend Hans!"

Rose had to bite her lip from snorting with laughter. She knew Scorpius had mis-pronounced Hanners' name on purpose just to annoy him – and it seemed to be working – but it didn't make it any less hilarious.

"Can I have a word, Malfoy?"

Hanners' tone was clipped and dripped with politeness, but Scorpius easily ignored it and turned wide eyes to look at Rose – who smiled cheekily up at him – and then back to the older Slytherin.

"Of course. You can have a whole sentence, if you'd like, I'm not exactly in a hurry."

Scorpius's voice was perfectly courteous, but the underlying laughter was painfully obvious. Hanners turned red and glanced at Rose, as though expecting her to defend his honour - or something equally ridiculous. She found it oddly curious why he behaved so possessive with regard to her. It seemed like an over-the-top reaction toward someone who clearly did not share the same feelings.

Lily's words ran through her mind and she felt a rush of irritation toward the Fifth year. She simply looked away, moving closer to Scorpius and winding one arm around his waist, while he moved his arm up to her shoulder, and turned to face Hanners.

"I thought you had something you wanted to say," Scorpius said mildly, but he was no longer smiling.

"Fine, then. What is your relationship with Rose Weasley?"

Rose found her eyes widening, as she turned to look at Hanners. What was he asking, when she was right there? The older boy's face was hard and his jaw was set, his eyes blazing with whatever was making him do what he was doing. Rose felt Scorpius's arms tighten around her shoulder and she instinctively moved closer to him. Hanners seemed to have noticed it and his eyes flickered to her for an instant before going back to glare at Scorpius.

"What's it to you?"

Scorpius's voice held a cool politeness that was impossible to argue with. She knew immediately that he was highly irritated with the Fifth year in front of them.

"I want to know. Or is it that you can't answer such a simple question?"

Scorpius's eyes narrowed dangerously and Hanners sneered, ready for the challenge.

"I don't see how it's any of your business."

"It _is_ my business, see," Hanners sneered and Rose suddenly realized where they were, her eyes darting around, expecting to see the librarian appear at any moment. But as luck may have it – she wasn't sure if it was good luck or bad luck – the librarian never came, and the heated conversation continued.

"Because I like Rose."

Scorpius's reaction to the statement was instantaneous. He pulled Rose tightly against him, standing slightly in front of her, as though shielding her from Hanners' gaze. The blond snarled - a deep, rumbling sound in his throat that made Rose shiver – and then spat at Hanners with as much venom as he could, "Is that right? Well that's too bad, because she's already taken."

It took a whole moment for the implications of Scorpius's sentence to hit Rose. She eyed the back of his head nervously, wondering what exactly he was playing at.

"Oh yeah," Hanners countered, refusing to back down. "By whom, you?"

Scorpius reared upwards, like a majestic snow-white steed, as he said in a cool, confident voice, "Yeah, as a matter of fact, you have a problem with that?"

It was like someone had punched her in her gut; all the air rushed out of her lungs at once and she felt weak-kneed. Her heart was pounding so hard and loud against her ribs, she was sure Scorpius could hear it. The blood rushed to her face and she felt giddy, having to hold on to Scorpius so she didn't fall down.

She knew Scorpius had only said it to get rid of Hanners, and that it shouldn't have affected her like it did, but she couldn't help it. Her lip trembled and she knew there were tears in her eyes. For some reason, she was feeling an immense sense of relief from hearing Scorpius say those words. Although they were said out of spite and had no meaning behind them, it suddenly made her feel reassured that there was nothing behind his kiss with Olivia.

She knew she was supposed to feel shock and surprise and maybe even annoyance at his words, but she wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel so relieved. She clenched her eyes shut, swallowing thickly and leaning into Scorpius's warmth.

"Rose?"

His voice was so gentle and kind, she suddenly felt terribly guilty for the way she had been behaving toward him lately – especially whenever she remembered him kissing that girl… it hadn't been his fault, but she couldn't help how spiteful and betrayed she had felt each time the image of them sharing an intimate kiss had flashed through her mind.

She finally looked up at him and he gingerly wiped away her tears, holding her close. His silver eyes were swimming with worry and she suddenly wanted to laugh. She had been so stupid to have asked Hanners to go with her. She had hoped Scorpius would ask her – no matter how much she denied it – but she had been too scared to admit it, because she felt something would change if she did.

She reached up toward him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, sighing in relief when he immediately pulled her against him. Behind them, she knew Hanners was watching and she knew he was outraged, but at the moment, she couldn't care less about him. All she knew was Scorpius's warmth surrounding her and his gentle hands slowly stroking her hair, and his warm breath against her ear as he mumbled softly to her…

There was suddenly the sound of something breaking – and later on when Rose looked back at that moment, she would realize that something _did _break, both literally and metaphorically – and they pulled apart, turning toward Hanners in alarm.

He had gone purple, his face scrunched up in anger, and he was holding the splintered ends of the chair he had just smashed against the ground. She vaguely registered the fact that students had surrounded them and the librarian was shouting from somewhere behind them. But all she really saw was a boy gone mad; as Hanners threw away the chair, bent down to pick up one of its legs that had broken up and brandish it in front of him, a deranged smile on his face.

Then all hell broke loose.

Scorpius pushed her behind him and hurried around the table as Hanners let out a war cry and hurtled toward them, broken wood in his hand. Scorpius shoved Rose to the right and she fell over, landing painfully on her arm. She raised her head, wincing at the jolt of pain that shot through her, but intent on making sure Scorpius was OK.

The two boys were circling the table at the moment and Scorpius was holding Rose's textbook in front of him like a shield. Hanners was yelling something at him, but she couldn't tell what; her ears were filled with an incessant ringing that wouldn't go away even when she shut her hands over them. She watched as they continued to take a few more steps to each of their lefts, until they paused; Scorpius directly opposite her and Hanners with his back to her.

A sudden thought struck her and she silently stood up, hand reaching into her robes to pull out her wand. She crept away from the table the blond had pushed her behind and was directly in between Hanners and Scorpius, so she was barely a few feet away from the former and he was in clear view, without any tables or chairs between them. She raised her wand, the spell she wanted to cast at the tip of her mouth, but Scorpius's eyes flickered toward her for some reason and they widened infinitesimally, his posture straightening, as though he wanted to yell at her to stop what she was doing.

Hanners saw Scorpius's expression and snapped around, his eyes bulging out of his head as they went slowly from the wand pointed at him, to the person holding it.

And suddenly he was charging toward her, the stake thrust out horizontally in front of him. She blundered back, tripping on the hem of her robes and falling on her rear, her wand clattering out of her hands. Hanners shot her a triumphant look and raised his hand with the pike…

And then everything went horribly wrong.

Rose had rolled out of the way, sensing the danger she was in, but she hadn't noticed that Scorpius had followed close behind Hanners and had jumped toward her when he had raised the severed piece of wood. She came to a stop, banging her head hard against a bookshelf and trying to sit up, only to fall back as something heavy landed on top of her. It took her a moment to snap out of the daze and see what was happening. And when she did, she was screaming, her voice shrill and earsplitting, as tears flowed down her cheeks.

Scorpius was lying half over her, the broken chair leg sticking out from the left side of his abdomen. His white school shirt was swiftly turning a dark magenta, as the blood seeped from the wound. His skin was deathly pale, almost translucent, and he was trembling violently, as his hand clenched and unclenched around the wood.

Rose dragged herself out from under him, her own screams and shouts and sobs deafening her. She could vaguely hear people yelling and screaming around her, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw that several people were holding down Hanners so he wouldn't make a run for it. She pulled Scorpius's head onto her lap, pushing back his sweaty bangs from his face.

"Scorpius," she choked, her voice trembling so much, the word was barely even audible. But he somehow seemed to have heard it, because his heavily lidded eyes flickered toward her and she felt a new wave of tears overcome her as she noticed how faint the light in them were. His silver eyes were turning greyer and duller, his skin was turning paler and whiter, his body was turning stiller and colder… she bent over him, her body wracked with sobs, as she pleaded for him to stay awake… begged him to remain conscious…

She felt something warm soak into her robes and realized it was his blood. She stared wide-eyed at the growing puddle of thick, deep-red liquid. There was so much… as though every single drop of blood within him was draining away… Scorpius was dying and she could do nothing but watch…

She heard someone call her name, as though through a thick fog. She felt someone shake her shoulders, screaming something at her, but she couldn't hear the words… someone was helping her stand up and taking her some place else, but she didn't want to go… she didn't want to leave Scorpius… he was dying and it was all her fault… if only she had just paid more attention to Hanners and done what he wanted her to do… if only she hadn't let her feelings overcome her and acted on impulse… if only she hadn't faltered and cast that spell on him when she had had the chance… if only… if only… if only…

Then Scorpius wouldn't be lying in a pool of his own blood, his breath slowly fading away.

* * *

**A/n: Yes, that was intense, but I warned you~ Worry not, because this is the start of everything. And yes, I hate Hanners too so I'll make sure he gets punished for hurting my precious baby. -cracks knuckles-**

**Anyway, be sure to tell me what you think about this chapter! And I would love it if you would read my new story coming out tomorrow and do the same! (If any of you want to read the story and be updated when I post it, feel free to follow me so you get notified.)**

**Wait to see what happens!**

**P.s, if any of you are wondering why Scorpius didn't use his wand, it's obviously because he didn't want to instigate Hanners any more in case he attacked Rose - which happened anyway, so..well...**

**Love~**


	16. Unprecedented Turn of Events

**A/n: This chapter is split into two and it begins from Rose's POV and then continues from Albus's POV. Just wanted to mention in order to avoid confusion.**

**Review and let me know what you think!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Unprecedented Turn of Events**

* * *

When Rose came to, she was lying on a hard mattress, staring at a white ceiling; the smell of antiseptic thick in the air. She tried to move, but was assaulted by waves of pain and she breathed deeply, trying to will the pain away. There were hushed voices outside the privacy screen around her bed, followed by shuffling as the screen was pulled back, revealing the grim looking hospital Matron – Madam Palms - an extremely pale Albus and – Rose felt her heart still – her parents.

Hermione immediately came to sit on the stool beside Rose's bed, holding her daughter's and kissing it, sobbing quietly. Ron came and stood behind his wife, his face strained and his expression grave.

"Oh, sweetheart! We were so worried! I can't believe you had to go through something so awful..."

She watched her mother cry, her father rubbing soothing circles along Hermione's back, and the only thought running through her mind was—

"Where is Scorpius?"

Ron looked up sharply and Hermione stopped sobbing and turned to sniffing instead. When neither of her parents seemed obliged to answer, she turned to her cousin, her brown eyes boring into him.

Albus grimaced and swallowed, his slight Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "He uh—" Albus glanced toward his aunt and uncle, but Rose made an impatient noise. She didn't care what her father had to say just then. All that mattered to her was Albus's answer.

"He's OK..."

She watched him evenly for a moment and then Albus looked away, bowing his head. She felt her patience snap and she hissed at him, "Don't lie to me Albus Severus."

"He's not lying."

Rose let her steely gaze linger on Albus a moment longer before turning to look at her father. Ron cleared his throat and Rose noticed the dark circles under his eyes for the first time. For how long had she been unconscious…?

When she voiced this question, Hermione broke down into another puddle of tears and Ron sat down beside Rose, sighing tiredly.

"Almost two days."

"What, why?"

"You hit your head pretty hard. You almost cracked your skull open against that shelf. Got a severe concussion," Albus supplied helpfully. She let her gaze flicker toward him and he shied away from it like a hurt animal.

"You broke your arm too, darling," Hermione said in between sobs, motioning toward Rose's hand that was folded into a sling. She frowned at it. It didn't hurt.

"It's healed already, but we just wanted to make sure you didn't dislocate your shoulder in your sleep," Madam Palms said in a flat voice, forcing Rose to drink a disgusting medicine.

"Rosie."

Rose looked up at her dad tiredly and he offered her a small smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but just then Headmistress McGonagall appeared, looking extremely old and withered.

"Oh, looks like Miss Weasley is awake."

She turned to look over her shoulder, beckoning to whoever was there. "You may come see her now, I suppose. Although, you will have to leave immediately if Madam Palms thinks her patient needs to rest."

McGonagall looked at the young matron over her glasses and she swelled, nodding vigorously. McGonagall then came to stand at the foot of the bed, so Albus stood behind Rose's parents and whomever the Headmistress had called, finally appeared from around the privacy screen.

Rose felt her blood freeze, as she met cold grey eyes; and Draco and Astoria strode in and stood on the other side of her bed. Astoria immediately touched Rose's cheek and smiled kindly at her, the older woman's eyes glistening with unshed tears. Rose smiled timidly back, knowing her parents were watching, but warmed that Astoria had treated her just the same and hadn't regarded her with the cold indifference, as Draco currently was.

Rose glanced at Scorpius's father as Astoria stood upright, and saw that his steely eyes weren't focused on Rose, but on her father. She immediately looked toward Ron, a horrible sense of dread settling over her.

Unlike before, Ron was now standing, one hand on his wife's shoulder and the other on the headrest of Rose's bed. The two men regarded each other for what seemed like an exceptionally long time, till Draco nodded and breathed an almost inaudible greeting.

"Weasley."

Ron tilted his chin in much the same way, his greeting more powerful. "Malfoy."

Rose could feel the palpable tension between the two men and she sighed inwardly, knowing she was the reason for this awkward situation in the first place.

"Now, gentlemen," McGonagall began, breaking the ice with a sharp glance toward each man. "We are here for a reason, and I suggest we get on with it so we can give Miss Weasley the rest she needs."

Draco was the first to react. "Of course," he murmured, tearing his eyes away from Ron and fixing it on Rose instead. She wished he had continued to glare at her father as she shrunk back into the bed; rather him than her.

"Miss Weasley," McGonagall started, forcing Rose to look toward her. The old witch seemed to regard her for a moment and then smiling slightly, started again, this time in a gentler voice.

"Rose, I know this is sudden, but we would like you to—"

"Is Scorpius all right?"

She felt everyone around her tense immediately and she heard both Astoria and Hermione let out muffled sobs. She was so intent on getting the answer to her question, that she couldn't tear her eyes away from the Headmistress. McGonagall looked at her from over her spectacles and replied, "Mister Malfoy is—"

"If you're going to tell me he's OK, Professor, I'd rather you not tell me anything at all."

She knew she was being extremely arrogant, especially to the Headmistress herself, but under the special conditions of her situation, she knew she would be excused. That didn't stop McGonagall from pursing her lips and regarding Rose with a stern expression before saying, "Mister Malfoy is yet to awaken, but we were able to reach him just in time. The wooden spike has been removed, he has been administered with regular doses of blood and his organs are healing slowly, but surely. It is a matter of days, or even hours maybe, before he regains consciousness."

Rose decided to ignore the edge of uncertainty in the Headmistress' voice, relieved that she finally knew Scorpius's condition. She let her head fall back against her pillow with a sigh and closed her eyes, letting the tears she hadn't realized she was holding back, flow freely.

"Thank you," she said quietly and felt that McGonagall had nodded, rather than see it.

"Now, Miss Weasley, if there are any other questions you want answered—"

"No, that was all."

"—then we would like to ask you a few questions about exactly what happened in the library."

Rose watched McGonagall with wide-eyes and finally asked in a squeaky voice, "Everything?"

The Headmistress inclined her head indulgently and then nodded once. "Yes. From the very beginning, please."

Rose didn't know what to say. She honestly didn't mind telling them about her initial conversations with Lily and then Hanners, but she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to talk about what transpired between her and Scorpius before Hanners attacked, and why he had attacked. She felt that was something personal that nobody needed to know. So she had just decided to tell a half-truth, lying only by omission, until Albus's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Professor."

McGonagall looked at Albus with an expression that said 'Why are you still here', but let him speak nonetheless. "Yes, Mister Potter?"

"I think Rose has a right to know that Hanners has already been questioned and has given a full account of his side of the story."

Rose felt like her heart had been impaled with thousands of needles. She watched McGonagall wearily, waiting to see the woman's confirmation to what her cousin had said. When the Headmistress looked at her and made the slightest motion of her chin, Rose felt all her fears crashing down on her.

She shook her head, staring at her hands and laughing humourlessly. "If that awful boy has already told you the whole story, why bother asking me?"

Her voice was thick with tears and she was so emotional, it hurt when she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Sweetheart," Hermione said gently, stroking Rose's hair and caressing her face softly. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to. But it would really help if we heard every version there is to the story, so there are no misunderstandings."

Rose continued to stare blankly at her hands, blinking rapidly ever time they got too blurry. "What did he say?" she whispered, her voice strained from trying not to cry. She heard Ron shift above her. "Does it matter what that miserable fel—boy has to say?"

Rose raised her head and met Astoria's kind eyes. She smiled gently and Rose suddenly felt the extreme need to cry. So she pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed into them, continuously apologizing over and over again.

She felt her parents wrap their arms around her and her mother whispered softly to her, rocking her back and forth while Ron stroked soothing circles on her back.

"Hush, darling," Hermione said, pulling Rose toward her and letting her sob into her chest.

"Headmistress, I think it would be better if you didn't cause Miss Weasley any more distress than this," Madam Palm's stern voice said somewhere to her right. McGonagall exchanged a quiet word with the matron and Rose watched out of the corner of her eye as she motioned for the Malfoys to walk outside with her. When Ron made to follow, Rose immediately reached out for him.

"Daddy!"

Ron instantly hurried to his daughter's side, casting a hasty glance toward Draco. He sat down on the bed and Rose crawled into his lap, letting him wrap his arms around her and rock her back and forth, humming softly into her hair.

She didn't know how long Ron rocked her and hummed softly to her, but the feeling of her father's protective warmth around her and the gentle swaying motions, coupled with her exhaustion, finally let her drift off into a slow, steady sleep.

* * *

Albus watched Rose crawl into his uncle's lap and decided to give the family some privacy. He slowly walked out of the hospital wing, his head throbbing from the stress of the recent events. As soon as he exited, Hugo barreled into him, badgering him with urgent questions about his sister's welfare. Albus gently pushed the smaller boy away and told him that his sister was fine and was asleep.

"Can I go see her?"

"After she wakes up," Albus told Hugo, pushing him gently toward a worried looking Lily. The two immediately made off to where Lucy and Roxanne were standing, hidden around the corner.

"How is she?"

Albus nodded toward a harassed looking James and a white-faced Louis. Fred was pacing up and down further along the hallway.

"She's just fallen asleep. She's pretty shaken, but otherwise all right."

James shook his head, rubbing his face and sitting down beside Louis with a sigh. The entire family had been pretty shaken up by the whole incident. Especially the three older boys, as they had happened to be the first ones to reach the scene and pull a weeping Rose away from Scorpius.

"It was really horrible, mate," James mumbled, staring at the ground with a stricken expression. "So much blood everywhere… and she was just crying over him like that… we really thought…" he shuddered, taking his head in his hands. Albus made to comfort his brother, but by the time he could move, Astoria had sat beside James, laying a warm hand on his shoulder and smiling gently at him.

"Why don't you boys go get something to eat and then come back here? It'll do you a lot of good to have some food in your stomachs."

James looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded dumbly and stood up, slumping down the hall toward a still pacing Fred. Louis sat looking at Astoria with a strangled expression.

"Mrs. Malfoy—"

"That's quite alright, dear. You don't have to be the one to bear the responsibility for these unfortunate events."

Louis swallowed thickly, nodding gratefully, and making his way after Fred and James, shooting Albus a glance. Sighing, Albus sat down beside Astoria and she smiled warmly at him.

"I'm sorry you had to go through something so terrifying."

Albus shook his head, his eyes unfocused. "When I saw them running out with Rose in their arms… covered in blood… I thought—"

'_I thought it was her blood._'

Astoria reached out and laid a warm hand on his. "I heard you helped bring Scorpius to the hospital. You saved him. Thank you."

Albus shook his head, breathing through his mouth. "It was Louis who conjured the gurney and then lifted him onto it. I just stood there dumbfounded, unable to move. Louis was the one who saved Scorpius, not me. I—"

'_I couldn't do anything.'_

"Albus," Astoria said softly, causing Albus to look up at her wearily. Her dark eyes shimmered with affection and she brushed his hair like Harry always did when Albus was particularly upset about something. "You didn't have to be the one to carry Scorpius till the hospital to have saved him. When we heard the news, we floo-ed in through the Headmistress's fireplace immediately, thoroughly devastated. But when I saw you sitting there beside Scorpius, holding his hand, while your own cousin was lying unconscious a few beds away… it means a lot Al, that you care so much about him. And I really meant it when I said you saved him. Not just now, but always."

Albus blinked away the tears forming his eyes, sniffing in a very unmanly way. "I'm sorry for what happened to Scorpius. I should have taken care of Hanners from the very beginning—"

Astoria laughed lightly, patting his head. "Your father wouldn't be too happy to hear you say that."

The duo looked up when Draco exited the hospital wing and Astoria stood up, smiling at Albus and saying, "I think I'd better return to my son's side in the off chance he wakes up."

Albus knew that she knew that Scorpius wasn't going to wake up any time soon, but he chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. Instead, he shifted farther down the bench, so that Draco would sit down.

Draco didn't look too happy about having to sit on the low bench, but he did so anyway. Glancing sideways at him, Albus saw the crease lines around his eyes and nose, making him look far older and far more worn out than he was. After a long, uncomfortable silence, Draco shifted. Albus looked up and the older Malfoy regarded him with grey eyes filled with a deep emotion.

"Thank you," he said solemnly, causing Albus to have a sense of déjâvù.

"I didn't really—" he started, but then paused, thought better of it, and nodded.

After some more time, Draco asked in a strained voice, "I would like you tell me the form of relationship between Miss Weasley and my son."

It wasn't exactly a request, more like a politely worded command, and Albus felt his heart jolt. He knew both Scorpius and Rose were only beginning to acknowledge their feelings for each other and although he didn't want to admit it, they were still young and people's feelings change. Scorpius may just feel the way he did about Rose because he'd never been in such an intimate relationship with another girl of his age, and Rose – Albus knew – was a confused wreck. Someday their relationship might develop into something more, but just then, Albus wanted nothing more than to watch over his two best friends and support whatever decisions they made as whole-heartedly as he could.

But he wasn't about to tell Draco any of the above, of course. So instead he said, "Rose and Scorpius are best friends."

Draco regarded Albus with a look that said he was thoroughly unconvinced.

"I do not believe that to be in the slightest bit true. I am sure you, of all people, who has spent the most time with them, would have noticed the palpable tension between them when they think they are not being watched."

Albus's memory jolted back to the scene he had witnessed outside the Shrieking Shack over a year ago, and Draco must have noticed a change in his expression, because he sat up straighter. Albus immediately rearranged his features to a blank, dispassionate expression, something he had learnt from watching Scorpius over the years. Draco's brows drew closer suspiciously, but he continued to wait for Albus to speak.

"I think—" Albus began and then paused, wondering if he should say what he wanted to. Suddenly deciding that no matter what he said, Draco's opinion was going to remain the same – atleast at the moment – he decided to go with the state of things and continued, "I think whether Scorpius and Rose choose to be friends or anything more or less—" Draco's lip twitched "—is none of my business."

And then standing up slowly, he casually threw Draco a look over his shoulder and said softly, "And neither is it any of yours, Mister Malfoy."

Draco's eyes widened, his brows furrowed and his mouth turned into a sneer, but by then Albus was already halfway down the corridor, completely unwilling to wait for Draco's wrath to catch up to him.

He could almost hear Draco roaring behind him and it must have been because of the man's extreme dignity and the fact that Albus was: one, his son's best mate; two, still a child; and three, the son of the Saviour of the Wizarding World, that prevented him from drawing his wand and hexing the boy to next May.

Albus sighed heavily once he had turned several corners and could no longer feel the shadow of Draco's drilling gaze on him. He rubbed his face tiredly, slumping forwards and dragging his feet as he eyed the door of the Great Hall with longing. His stomach rumbled loudly, as though to emphasize the fact that it had been nearly two whole days since his last proper meal, and his mouth began to water at the pungent aroma drifting out the large double doors… beckoning him… seducing him… almost there…. Just a few more steps, and—

"Albus Potter?"

Albus groaned so loudly and with so much force, that his entire body nearly collapsed to the floor. He had half a mind to pretend he hadn't heard a thing and sprint the last few feet, but it seemed like the doors were so far away now and didn't look half as appealing as they had less than a second ago. So he reluctantly forced his head to look over his shoulder, his annoyance at having been stalled from reaching his destination clear on his face.

"What," he snapped, when the extremely pretty, blonde Ravenclaw standing a few feet behind him just gawked at him. It was definitely because of the aura of explicit unhappiness that he was radiating.

The older girl spluttered, fiddling with her long, straight, glossy, golden hair and asked meekly, "You _are_ Albus Potter aren't you?"

"I would have completely ignored you and walked on – like I intended on doing – if I wasn't, wouldn't I have," Albus all but spat, not bothering to even turn toward her. The girl's almost violet coloured eyes widened and she stepped backward, like the force of Albus's anger had pushed her back. Her face grew red and affronted and she pursed her lips. Albus sighed. He knew the girl had just caught him at the wrong time and the wrong place - which wasn't exactly her fault.

"Listen," he started, half turning toward her. "I haven't had a decent meal, or more than a couple hours sleep, in two days and I would like nothing more than to collapse right here, but since that would be extremely painful and not worth a trip to the hospital wing for…" he trailed off, motioning for her to go on with the reason as to why she had stopped him.

The girl cleared her throat, stood up straighter, raised her chin up higher and said in a clipped tone, "I just wanted to ask you about the rumour that's been going around—"

"What rumour?"

The girl looked like she wanted to hit Albus for behaving like such a git, but she clenched her fist and said, "Maybe if you'd actually _let_ me finish…"

Albus just stared at her and she continued in a thoroughly offended tone, "The rumour about Malfoy being attacked and almost dying."

Of course Albus should have predicted that that was what the whole thing was about. McGonagall had strictly told him not to indulge anybody outside of direct family with the details of the incident, not even to confirm or negate the rumours.

"I don't know what you've heard, but I have nothing to say about it—"

"So it's true then?!"

Albus looked at her tiredly and decided he had had enough of her. But before he could turn around and walk away, she stepped upto him and grabbed his arm. He regarded her with irritation.

"Look, I know it's supposed to be confidential, but he's all right, isn't he?"

For a moment, Albus had half a mind to pull away and walk off, but the way her eyes were wide and shimmering with – he found himself confused – guilt, he could only stare at her. "What's it to you?" he finally asked drily, and she sighed, deflating.

"I suppose you don't remember, but my name is Olivia – Olivia Barnes. We kind of met at Slughorn's Christmas Party."

Albus made an 'Oh!' face, his memory finally clicking into place. No wonder she had looked so oddly familiar. She scrunched up her nose daintily and nodded, stepping slightly away from him.

"Yes, well, I meant to thank you – thanks and sorry – and I meant to apologize to Malfoy, but it was—I just—I'm so ashamed by my behaviour, that I haven't gotten the nerve to face him and now I hear these awful stories of him being in a coma—and oh!"

She covered her face and sobbed, alarming Albus. He reached out to her awkwardly and then on second thought, let his hand drop to his side.

"Look, I'm pretty sure Scorpius doesn't really care one way or another; but if you want, I could tell him—"

"Really?!" She looked up at him teary-eyed and he smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah… Why not…"

"Oh, thank you so much!" she gushed, throwing herself at him and then realising what she had done, pulling away awkwardly. Albus laughed shakily and then motioned toward the Great Hall.

"Well I better get going then…"

"Huh? Oh, yes! Thank you so much, Albus! I can call you that, right?"

"Just Al is fine," he replied distractedly, as he noticed students leaving the Great Hall and was afraid he would miss dinner. Olivia said something and Albus waved at her and ran the rest of the way, intent on getting more than a morsel or two down his throat.

* * *

**A/n: This chapter was slightly longer than usual - almost 4,000 words - but I couldn't break it any further, so...**

**And yes, Olivia is back and you're going to have to wait a liiiiitle bit longer to find out what's happening with Scorpius.**

**Tell me what you think because I need to know! And sorry for the late update, college is killing me orz**

**Love~**


	17. Early Leave

**A/n: This chapter is written from Albus's POV. In order to avoid confusion, I wanted to mention that every corresponding chapter may not follow right after the previous one, as there's quite a bit of time skip from one chapter to the next. The Hanners incident happened in late March, long after the Christmas Party and everything.**

**That's all from me! Thank you for all the love!**

**Love~**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Early Leave**

* * *

It had been nearly two weeks since the Hanners incident, and the ever-growing rumours had reached a whole new level of unbelievable.

One bleary April morning, James had come storming into the Hospital Wing – where Albus and Rose spent every free moment of every day – looking thoroughly disgusted and in a proper fit of rage. The two cousins had exchanged uneasy looks and then eyed James wearily, waiting for him to speak, because he looked like he wanted to bite somebody's head off. James had stomped over to the bed beside the still unconscious Scorpius and flopped down on it, his arms folded and his face red and furious.

"The _nerve_ of these people, I tell you," James spat, staring at the far wall from in between Albus and Rose. It was Albus who finally braved himself for what was to follow and spoke up,

"What's happened now?"

James' expression changed and he looked somewhat shame-faced. "Well, you know how everyone's been trooping down here to sneak a peek through the doors as though we're keeping some secret circus act hidden or something?"

Albus grimaced at his brother's choice of words, but nodded nonetheless. James shook his head. "Well Fred, Lou and I had taken it upon ourselves to send all those curious buggers packing the second they get too close… but we – especially Louis - got into trouble for missing out on classes in order to keep them out, so we decided to…" he trailed off, eyeing Rose guiltily. She raised an eyebrow at him, showing that she was clearly in no mood to scold him on whatever scandalous thing he had done now, so James continued, "We erected a barrier around the door – covering a good couple feet – and whenever anyone tried to get near it, they were flung backwards. Quite a few people got some nasty bruises because of it," James said, not sounding sorry about it at all, and then continued with a grimace, "but that also meant people who actually needed to use the Hospital Wing were unable to get in…. which kind of became a major problem…"

Rose shook her head and Albus sighed.

"Let me guess, Professor McGonagall had a nice long chat with you in her office?"

James looked horrified at what Albus had suggested, so the latter guessed it was some other Professor who had caught them.

"Neville really is way too soft on the lot of you," Rose said, speaking up for the first time. Albus looked at the girl in surprise and then back at his sheepish-looking brother.

"_Neville_ told you off?!"

"Hey! It's Professor Longbottom to you lot!" James said, mimicking Neville's chastising tone. Albus grinned and even Rose cracked a smile. James looked relieved.

"Thank goodness you both smiled. I'd almost thought you'd forgotten how."

Rose made a face and turned toward Scorpius. She stared at him for a moment and then reaching forward, brushed his hair from his forehead. Albus immediately glanced toward James to see his reaction. He swallowed when he saw that the older boy's jaw was set and his eyes were burning.

"James," Albus started hurriedly, not wanting an argument or anything of that sort to break out, "I think you should go back before Madam Palms gets back…"

James continued to stare at Rose and Scorpius for a long minute, and then grunting, moved to leave. Just then the door opened to reveal very harassed looking Malfoys and an extremely agitated Madam Palms. She immediately spotted James and shrieked, "Mister Potter! Get out! Now!"

James cast a final glance toward the duo and bolted, striding out with as much dignity as he could. Draco and Astoria came up to them, Astoria smiling kindly as she sat in the free chair on the other side of Scorpius's bed. Draco stood behind his wife, his posture rigid and his expression unreadable. When Albus turned to look at what the older Malfoy was staring at with such distaste, he noticed with a jolt that Rose was holding Scorpius's hand.

He breathed through his mouth, belatedly wondering why he hadn't bothered registering that fact, as Rose had always held Scorpius's hand whenever they sat beside him. He wondered if he should quietly tell her to pull away, but then realized – if Rose wanted to hold Scorpius's hand, there was no reason why she shouldn't. And as long as Draco didn't make a fuss about it, there was no reason why Albus had to do anything about it either.

Besides, Astoria didn't seem to be in the the least bit bothered by it. "Have you both eaten?" she asked them and when they nodded, her smile widened. "I am glad to hear that. We were told that the two of you spent so much time in here, that Madam Palms had half a mind to throw you out."

Rose's eyes widened exaggeratedly and she gasped, but Albus simply pursed his lips. There was no way that batty old witch – all though she was quite young - was going to throw them out. But Astoria's eyes sparkled with mirth and she said, "But on my insistence, she agreed to let you stay until Scorpius awakens."

There were two instantaneous sighs of relief and Astoria chuckled lightly. "But I had to promise to make sure you were present in the Great Hall at meal times long enough to get your bellies at least remotely full, before you came running back here. She very sternly said she did not want the two of you collapsing from exhaustion."

"We've been eating properly," Rose piped up, looking at Astoria with honest wide-eyes. "I promised mum and dad I would."

Albus noted how Draco shifted at the mention of Ron, from the corner of his eyes, but chose to ignore it. He focused back on the conversation between Rose and Astoria.

"What about lessons? You are attending them properly?"

"I wouldn't _dream_ of missing lessons! Those two days when I was hospitalized were _more_ than enough!" Which was true, considering how greedy Rose was when it came to lessons and learning something new. He tried to suppress a smile as he thought Scorpius was just as bad, when it came down to anything academics related. No wonder they got along so well.

"And you, Al?"

"Yes—er, what?" he said awkwardly, not having paid attention. Rose rolled her eyes at him and Astoria chuckled.

"I was asking if you have been attending Quidditch practices."

"Oh! Oh, yeah. I couldn't possibly miss them, considering the final game of the year is coming up." He sighed, sitting back tiredly. The final match was between Gryffindor and Slytherin, but he knew Slytherin had already lost the House Championship, owing to the fact that two of their best players were going to be absent. Hanners had been kicked off the team – to be replaced by a very eager Lily who wasn't nearly as good as Hanners was – and Scorpius was in no state to play. Astoria smiled at him sympathetically.

"Do your best, love," she said kindly and Albus nodded.

"But I really hope Scorpius wakes up soon," Rose said, eyeing the boy morosely. "Exams are right around the corner and he won't be able to do very well if he can't study."

Astoria opened her mouth, but Draco cut her off. "We will be taking Scorpius back to Malfoy Manor as soon as he awakens and is deemed fit to do so," he said abruptly, folding his arms.

Rose's eyes widened and even Albus himself had to bite back his outrage.

"But—but he can't _not_ write the exams! That means—that means he fails!" Rose looked like the very notion of Scorpius failing was far worse than him being stabbed and nearly dying from blood-loss. But Draco didn't seem to share the same sentiments.

"Scorpius will come home," he snapped, his voice cold. "And if he absolutely cannot be exempted from the exams, then I am quite sure the Headmistress will give him special permission to take them up as and when he finds himself well enough to do so."

Rose's face completely drained of colour and her usually dancing brown eyes were hard and furious. She was breathing shallowly and Albus knew she was holding her tongue in much the same way he was. Luckily for them, Astoria came to their rescue.

"Now, now, Draco. Rose is only conveying her worry that Scorpius may not be able to take up his exams. There is no necessity to get quite so irked about it." Her voice was soft, but strained, as was her smile, and her dark eyes were shimmering with quiet anger as she looked up at her husband. Draco regarded Astoria from down his nose, as though wondering when she had gained the ability to speak.

Finally seeing that his wife would not relent, he snapped his eyes to the side and said stiffly, "Of course."

Albus glanced sideways at his cousin and saw that she still looked like she wanted to say something, but her eyes suddenly snapped toward her and Scorpius's linked hands and widened, as she looked at his face.

"Rose," Albus said with worry, leaning in and holding her shoulder.

Rose's face was white as a sheet and her lip was trembling. "He just moved," she breathed, glancing up at them. Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears. "I swear I felt his fingers twitch just now."

Everyone leaned over the blond – including Madam Palms, who had suddenly materialized at the head of the bed – their postures strained, barely breathing. Albus could feel his heart hammering away in his chest and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat, with no luck. Madam Palms finally sighed and shook her head.

"It might have just been a reflexive movement."

Rose exclaimed in outrage. "I'm telling you, I felt him move!"

The Matron bristled at the girl and opened her mouth to tell her off, but was cut off by a soft moan from the bed.

"Rose…?"

Astoria immediately gasped and burst into tears, throwing herself into an equally emotional Draco – whose lips were pursed and cheeks flushed, which was probably the most emotion Albus had ever seen from the man – who wrapped his arms around his wife and stroked her hair, making him seem almost human. Beside him, Rose had started crying as well and Albus found that his own eyes were considerably moist. They all looked down at a bewildered looking Scorpius, as his confused silver eyes traveled from one crying face to the next.

"What—" he started, choked, and then winced. Madam Palms was tilting the mattress upwards and helping him drink some silvery potion before they could even blink.

"All of you, move away!" She commanded, waving them off. They stepped back to the end of the bed with extreme reluctance – the males had to literally drag a weeping Astoria and Rose away before they could throw themselves at Scorpius.

After what seemed like ages of fussing and fretting and bustling around, Madam Palm finally looked at them with pursed lips and said with much distaste, "I suppose he should be able to talk without coughing up blood or losing consciousness, now."

Immediately they were by his side, talking all at once. Scorpius looked from one person to another, his eyes dancing with amusement and his lips twitching into his trademark smirk.

"Hold on Rose—" Albus pulled his cousin back, and she glared furiously at him, "He can't understand you, not if you talk all at once!"

That seemed to simmer her down and she flushed, having the sense to look embarrassed. Astoria smiled at Albus and then directed the smile at her son, as she took his face in her hands and gently kissed his forehead.

"I was so worried," she whispered and her voice cracked. Scorpius smiled gently at his mother and let her hug him, stroking her hair as she sobbed softly into his shoulder. Even Draco's usual façade seemed to crumble away and he swallowed thickly, laying a hand on Scorpius's shoulder.

Albus suddenly felt very awkward, intruding into their family moment like that, and he tried to pull Rose away, so they could at least stand behind the privacy screen. They had barely taken a step, when Scorpius croaked, "Where are you going?"

"N-Nowhere," Albus blustered, letting go of Rose as she made her way around the bed and to his side. Astoria pulled away and stood a little farther back, forcing Draco back as well.

Albus watched as Rose paused and stared down at Scorpius, biting her lip. He looked back at her evenly and some sort of unspoken communication occurred between them. Scorpius half raised his arm and Rose stepped into his embrace, sitting down beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. Scorpius wrapped his arms around her, much as he had with his mother, and pressed his lips to her hair, closing his eyes and swallowing.

Again, Albus found that he was watching something very personal that he shouldn't be watching and tried to step away, but jumped when he bumped into someone. He looked up into cold grey eyes and Draco was watching him accusingly, as though nonverbally challenging what Albus had said some time ago about Rose and Scorpius being nothing more than good friends. The raven-haired boy suddenly felt very mentally and emotionally tired and slumped onto the foot of Scorpius's bed.

That effectively ended whatever moment Scorpius and Rose were sharing and they pulled away awkwardly, Scorpius clearing his throat and Rose fiddling with her hair – both their cheeks colouring from embarrassment. Albus decided that that was his chance and stood up, extending his hand to his friend.

"Mate," he said, nodding and Scorpius grinned up at him, grasping Albus's hand. "About time you woke up," Albus said, returning the grin. Scorpius laughed sheepishly and raked a hand through his unkempt hair. Albus wished he hadn't heard the audible intake of breath on the other side of the bed, as Rose stepped back, waving at them.

"I think I heard the bell for dinner—"

"You most definitely did," Madam Palms cut in sharply and Albus dropped Scorpius's hand, sharing a knowing look with him. When he leaned in to pat him on the back, he whispered into the blond's ear as inconspicuously as possible, "I'll try to smuggle in some Treacle Tart."

Scorpius beamed up at Albus and they were rushed outside by a shrieking Madam Palms who was beside herself, screaming something about giving their word about leaving as soon as Scorpius woke up.

Albus felt Astoria's gaze on him and grinned up at her, and her eyes twinkled in reply. Just as the cousins were about to make their way toward the Great Hall, Draco beckoned to Rose with a crisp "May I speak with you, Miss Weasley?" and Albus wanted to whisk her off and out of the older Malfoy's reach, knowing exactly what he wanted to 'speak' with Rose about. But Astoria gently motioned for him to join her and they made their way toward the Hall, Albus glancing worriedly at his cousin over his shoulder.

Rose's face was extremely pale and she looked like she was on the brink of tears, before she disappeared out of sight as Albus turned a corner.

* * *

**A/n: This chapter is relatively short, so sorry about that. I just wanted to end it with Scorpius waking up and not drag it out. Also, this chapter marks the end of Fourth year. The next chapter will be the beginning of Fifth year. You have been warned!**

**Make sure to review and tell me what you think! As for Hanners, that bit is coming up next!**

**Love~**


	18. Prefects, But Not Perfect

**A/n: Oh? What's this? Another update so quickly? Are your eyes deceiving you?**

**Well, what can I say, y'all have given me so much love that I just had to give some back.**

**Here's an early in-between, extra long chapter update for all you wonderful people! Celebrating 50+ follows, 30+ favorites and 100+ reviews! You guys make me cry :')**

**Don't forget to give me more love! There's a whole lot from my side to go around!**

**P.s, this chapter is in Albus's POV, so enjoy that!**

**Lovee love lovee~**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Prefects But Not Perfect**

* * *

Albus stalked upto the couch where Scorpius was lounging and flumped down beside him, sighing deeply. The blond raised his eyes from the book he was reading, to regard Albus with mild amusement. Albus groaned and tilted his head back, sinking into the plush seat. Scorpius chuckled and turned back to his book.

"Wow. You look terrible."

Albus shot the blond a glare. "How kind of you to notice."

Scorpius smirked at his book and Albus glowered at him. Finally shutting it, he leaned back and focused on the dark-haired boy. "Alright then. I shall listen to you moan about your trivial problems."

Albus slapped him in the stomach and Scorpius let out a startled 'Oof!'. The Potter sighed again and Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I'm waiting, oh suffering one."

"If you're going to poke fun at me, then sod off."

"Well excuse me, for trying to cheer my best mate up."

Albus scoffed at the blond and then said morosely, "I'm really sick of the whole lot of them."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows thoughtfully and said, "I'm guessing this has something to do with Victoire's wedding planning."

"Yes!" Albus exclaimed, sitting up.

His cousin Victoire had suddenly decided to start planning her wedding – which wasn't anytime in the next two years – and was absolutely driving the whole family up the walls with her antics. The women had to handle most of her tantrums, especially Dominique and Molly, since Fleur conveniently disappeared the second she could smell the start of an outburst. And Rose, who was the most patient one, was left to deal with Dominique's fits of rage following her sister's and Molly shutting herself up in their shared room and refusing to open the door.

And among all the havoc, the yearly Hogwarts letters had arrived with Rose's Prefect Badge. The moment that should have been Rose's, was turned into another one of the extreme, screaming battles between the part-Veela sisters, sending the entire family into discord. Ron had fumed on and on about it for a good four days and had made sure to glower at Victoire and Dominique every chance he got.

So all in all, it had been a thoroughly unpleasant summer and Rose, who hadn't got to voice out her frustrations, was finally taking full advantage of her powers as a Prefect to give students horrible detentions for every shout in the corridor and cut points for every misplaced step.

And Albus had to endure it all, including the fact that his two best friends were – once again – not speaking to each other. But this time, the fact that Scorpius was a Prefect as well and that the two were extremely busy with their respective duties and studying for their OWLs, led to Albus having to deal with their sour relationship only when the three of them were actually together – which was honestly not a lot.

Scorpius shrugged. "If my memory serves me right – and it usually does – then Victoire Weasley graduated about… what, four years ago? So I quite literally don't see the source of your problem."

Albus glared at him. "Vic might not be here, but my beloved cousin Rose still is."

At the mention of Rose some vague emotion flickered across Scorpius's face but disappeared before Albus could catch it. Instead he asked, "She's taking her frustrations out on you again?"

Albus groaned and flopped back, draping an arm over his eyes and sighing. "Can't you both make up already, so I don't have to deal with Rose's constant tantrums?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "In the first place, we aren't fighting. And in the second place, if you actually _tried_ to be of some use instead of behaving like a drama queen, I'm quite sure we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

Albus posed dramatically and Scorpius laughed.

"But on a more serious note," Albus said, crossing his legs, "what's going on between the two of you?"

Scorpius smiled sardonically at Albus and then made to open his book, but Albus plucked it out of his hands and threw it behind the couch.

"Oi!"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Malfoy."

Scorpius regarded the adamant expression on Albus's face with irritation and then sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Can we not talk about this, Al? I have enough on my plate already, with Prefect duties and studying for the OWLs, without you badgering me with unnecessary questions."

"Well they wouldn't be necessary, if you just made up with her!"

"There is nothing to make up about, Albus!"

Albus saw the way Scorpius sighed and shook his head, trying to swallow away and hide the hurt that had flashed in his eyes with the previous sentence.

"Look," Scorpius began, staring at the carpet, "I'm sure she's just stressed out and busy because she takes everything too seriously; which is why we haven't been able to talk properly."

"It's been three months since school started and Christmas break is almost here and you two haven't spoken more than ten words to each other."

A shadow passed over Scorpius's face and he sighed. "Al—"

"What happened in the Prefect's carriage on the train, Scorpius?"

Scorpius's eyes flashed and his jaw set, but Albus simply sat back and eyed his friend evenly. "I didn't ask you until now, because I was under the assumption you would tell me when you were ready."

"You assumed correctly," Scorpius growled, moving to stand up. Albus didn't even bother trying to stop the blond. He knew something had definitely happened between them during their Prefect's meeting on the train, because before that they had been pretty amicable toward each other. He also knew that unless Scorpius decided to confide in him, it was impossible to get the blond to open up.

'_It was still worth a shot.'_

"Well, if that's how it's going to be," Albus stood up, ruffled his hair and began to walk away, not even looking at Scorpius. Just as the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room was sliding shut, Albus heard Scorpius shout and then the sound of something breaking. Albus walked away, grimly satisfied that he had at least managed to rankle the blond into admitting there was a problem, at least to himself.

'_Now for specimen No. 2…'_

Rose looked up from several pieces of parchment scattered around in front of her, when Albus sat down beside her at the Gryffindor table. He eyed the hurriedly scrawled essays and then raised an eyebrow at his frazzled-looking cousin.

"Rosie, have you eaten anything since last night?"

Rose mumbled something distractedly, as she pulled her long hair in a messy bun over her head and stuck a quill in it to keep it in place. Albus sighed and tapped her on the cheek. She jumped and turned wide brown eyes on him.

"Rose," he started, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and her ashen complexion. "Did you accept to do some other Prefect's rounds again last night?"

She still seemed to possess the sense to look shame-faced. Albus let his mouth fall open, as he looked at her in complete and utter disbelief.

"I can_not_ believe this! What is wrong with you?!"

The girl shied away from his booming voice and seemed to shrink even smaller than she already was. Albus glared at her and demanded, "Who was it?"

Rose looked at him with terrified eyes and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Isaac Leng…" when Albus didn't show any recognition to the name, Rose shrugged and said meekly, "The Ravenclaw Prefect."

"Didn't he ask you to cover for him last week as well?!"

Rose bowed her head and nodded.

"Rose, you blithering idiot! Isn't it obvious he's taking advantage of you!" Albus roared, making the girl flinch.

She raised trembling hands back to her homework and whispered almost inaudibly, "But he said he had to study for a Potions test and that he'd owe me one…"

Albus slapped his hand to his forehead and dragged it down his face, muffling a groan. He watched as Rose stared wide-eyed at the piece of parchment and began scribbling on it, muttering under her breath. He pursed his lips, having seen enough of his cousin's plight.

"Alright," he said, grabbing her homework and rolling them all together to place it in her book-bag – which he then slung over his shoulder – and grabbing her arm, forced her to stand up. She yelped, staring at her bag and then at Albus with a frightened expression. He tutted at her and grabbing her hand, led her out of the Great Hall.

"Where are we going?" she finally squealed, as Albus barely dodged past a group of tiny First-years, causing Rose to smash into two of them and call out apologies over her shoulder.

"To talk to that fellow."

"Which fellow?"

"The Ravenclaw Prefect."

By then they had reached the library and paused outside so they could catch their breath, and so Albus could collect his thoughts.

Rose looked up at him with the same unfocused wide eyes and asked dumbly, "Why?"

Albus suppressed his urge to snap at her and replied with an, "So I can give him a piece of my mind."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but Albus pressed his hand against it and pressed a finger to his lips, as he pushed open the door to the library. She nodded obediently and followed him in.

It was honestly quite an arduous task to locate Isaac Leng, because nobody seemed to know who he was. When Rose finally found him right at the back of the library, hidden behind a towering pile of books, Albus could only stare at the boy.

Leng was a tiny, mousy looking thing, with slick, oily hair and thick, round glasses. He was so thin, that his uniform hung off of him like clothes did off a hanger, and his skin was greasy and patchy. He looked like he was part-Goblin. When the cousins walked up to him, he regarded them with squinted eyes, and said in the squeakiest voice Albus had ever heard, "How may I help you?"

"Um, Leng," Rose appeared from behind Albus, waving awkwardly at the scrawny boy. He adjusted his glasses as he looked at Rose.

"Ah, Weasley! Good day to you!"

Rose inclined her head politely and Albus felt all the anger oozing out of his body. No wonder Rose had accepted to cover for him. He looked like he would break from the weight of the books he was carrying.

Leng turned his beady eyes to Albus and the latter laughed sheepishly and said, "Uh, hi. Rose keeps talking about you, so I thought I'd come meet you, or something…" he trailed off, looking at the mousy boy awkwardly. Leng simply nodded at Albus with a squeaky 'Hello' and then politely excused himself to disappear behind the pile of books.

Albus turned Rose with a tired sigh and said, "Why didn't you tell me he was so… little?"

Rose simply stared up at her cousin like the thought had never occurred to her and Albus ruffled his hair. "Why can't he ask his own House's Prefect, though? Why does he have to ask you?"

"Oh, the other Prefect hasn't come to school yet because of some nasty illness of the skin. Apparently she looks like a toad."

Albus grimaced at the image in his head and asked, "What about the Sixth year Prefects?"

"Oh they—" and Rose broke off, something behind Albus distracting her. Albus turned around and saw exactly why Leng had asked Rose.

Olivia Barnes was walking up to them, a pleasant smile on her full lips. Albus swallowed, as his eyes raked downwards to her long legs. Why in Merlin's name was her skirt so short?

Olivia paused right in front of him and hugged him briefly, before turning to smile at Rose. "How nice to see you two! It's been so long!"

Albus had conversed with Olivia quite a few times after Scorpius had left, the previous year and he found her to be quite interesting, not considering that she had highly distracting features.

Like for instance, her blouse that was unbuttoned till the third button. He peeled his eyes away from the small birthmark just below her collarbone and stared into her violet-red eyes. She tilted her head so her golden-blonde locks fell over her shoulder and asked genially, "Is there something you want from me?"

"Huh?" Albus replied dumbly and Rose pinched his arm. He flinched, slapping her hand and smiled awkwardly at Olivia. Had she gotten prettier over the summer?

"I-I was just telling Rose how—uh, she has to sleep more—because, uh—you know—"

"Ah!" Olivia said, scrunching up her nose at Rose. "That's right. Leng has been asking you to take over quite a lot of his duties, hasn't he?"

She glanced at the tower of books behind them and rolled her eyes. "I really do not know why that boy was made Prefect. He can barely tell a First year off, forget send anybody to detention. They'd just tear the poor thing apart."

She pursed her lips and Albus found himself staring at how pink and glossy they were.

"I'm really sorry," Olivia was saying, her lips moving to form the words. "I'll tell Dan and we'll take over for you so you can rest for the remaining of the week."

Albus snapped his head up at her words and Rose looked absolutely stunned. "Really," she breathed and Olivia nodded enthusiastically at her.

"You've really helped us out quite a number of times, so consider this me returning the favour."

She smiled at a stupefied Rose and then turned her violet eyes to Albus.

"And Al, would you be a dear and ask Scorpius if he would meet me after lunch? I have certain things I would like to discuss with him."

Albus was too busy nodding dumbly to notice the look of annoyance that flickered across Rose's face and the way she seemed to swell with anger. Olivia smiled and walked away, her hair swishing behind her.

Rose stomped on Albus's foot and smacked him on the head.

"What the hell!" he yelled, glaring down at her.

She crossed her arms and said in an accusing voice, "I never thought _you_ of all people would get charmed by a part-Veela."

Albus gawked at his cousin. "She's part-Veela?"

Rose rolled her eyes, somehow looking much better than she had a few minutes ago. "Yes, she is, you dolt. After having relatives who are part-Veela, I'd think you should at least have the ability to recognize one…"

Albus frowned in confusion. "But I've never been this affected by her before!"

Rose regarded him with scrutiny. "That's because she wasn't trying to melt your pants off."

"They can turn it on and off?!"

Rose just shot him a look of exasperation and stalked away. Albus followed, rubbing his neck sheepishly. No wonder he'd always been in somewhat of a daze whenever he was around her. Except the one time when she was drunk and the other time when he had been too tired to actually notice her. A sudden thought hit him and he looked down at Rose – who had gone back to muttering, as she pulled her homework out of her bag.

"Is she the reason why you and Scorpius fought?"

Rose halted so abruptly, Albus had to walk back a few steps, as he had still been moving forwards. The look on her face was a mixture of complete distaste, hurt and betrayal. Albus swallowed, wishing he hadn't brought it up. He hated to see her cry. But since he had already opened the wound, Rose seemed like she just wanted to spill everything out and get over with it.

"We didn't know she was a Prefect. Apparently, last year they hadn't made her a Prefect because of her previous _behavior_—" she motioned at her hair and clothes, and Albus realized that Olivia _did_ dress rather inappropriately for a student, let alone a Prefect. He hadn't noticed before because she'd always worn her robes on top of her uniform. "—And then because she had _reformed her ways _or something, they chose her this year. And then when we entered the carriage, because we were early, there was only me, Scorpius, Leng and Barnes. And she immediately was all over him—" Rose's eyes flashed and Albus bit back a sigh. '_Really, Scorpius?'_ "—and she started apologizing for how she had behaved and asked if he was OK and everything and after the meeting I commented on how close he had been to her—" she paled, wrapping her arms around herself, "—I may have gone overboard with my accusations… but nevertheless, he got angry and said somethings he didn't mean… and I said somethings I didn't mean… and then I brought up his father and then—and then things just spun out of control…"

Albus felt his heart still. "His father?"

Rose nodded at her shoes.

"What did Draco Malfoy say to you, exactly? You never told me."

The way she looked up at him teary-eyed and her lip trembled, Albus felt his head pound in anger. That git had gone and said unnecessary things to Rose, after all.

"He didn't—he didn't tell me to stop being friends with Scorpius or anything," Rose said hurriedly, seeing the way her cousin's face darkened. "He just told me about the Malfoy family history, and how they had always been followers of Voldemort, and how they had shunned the Weasley family because they were blood-traitors, and—and—"

But Albus wasn't even listening. He was staring to the side, trying to calm his breathing. Draco had actually told Rose that the Malfoys considered the Weasleys blood-traitors? That was as good as telling her that she and Scorpius could never be anything more than acquaintances, because she would never be accepted by them.

"Al," Rose said insistently, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned his emerald eyes to her and they softened, as he looked down at his cousin.

"Al, I'm sure he was only warning me. It's not like I didn't know anything he told me—"

"I know Rosie," Albus said, folding the smaller girl into a hug. Rose sighed against his shoulder, snuggling into his warmth and he smiled into her hair. It had been so long since he had hugged like this, and it suddenly reminded him of how quickly time had passed.

As he walked her back to Gryffindor Tower, Albus asked tentatively, "Rosie, are you perhaps jealous of Olivia?"

Rose immediately flared, her hair making her look wild and dangerous. "I do _not_ like that girl!"

Albus grinned and pulled the quill out of her bun, causing her long, auburn locks to tumble down to her back. Rose exclaimed in annoyance and tried to grab the quill, but Albus held it out of her reach and said, "I think you're much prettier as you are, than that part-Veela girl could ever be."

Rose's eyes widened and her cheeks coloured almost instantaneously, as she ducked her head in embarrassment. Albus laughed at her reaction and reaching forward, scrunched her hair over her head and stuck the slightly bent and manhandled quill in her thick curls. Her hair immediately tumbled down, as he let go of it and Rose sighed, doing it up methodically. Albus watched her for a moment and then turned to look in the general direction of the library.

Scorpius hadn't _really_ been all over Olivia, had he? Because if he had, that meant there was going to be a serious – and very loud – row between the two boys very soon.

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**A/n: And that's that! Yes, you've guessed right, Olivia's going to-**

**Anyway, you can expect some good ol' teenage drama coming right up! Al is such a darling, don't you think? He's like a complete half and half of Harry and Ginny.**

**Review and tell me what you think! And no worries, there will be a usual update coming your way, this was just because I had too much love and needed to share it!**

**Lovee~**


	19. Hasty (Scorpius's Heart)

**A/n: Thank you for all the love and make sure to read the Author's note at the bottom as I've said some important things there!**

**This is a slightly longer chapter and is written from Scorpius's POV. **

**Love~**

**P.s, you'll see why the chapter is titled how it is and why I've added it in brackets.**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**Hasty**

**(Scorpius's Heart)**

* * *

Albus smacked the handle of his broomstick against Scorpius's head, causing the latter to shout out,

"What the hell?!"

"That should be _my _line," Albus roared. "What the hell, Scorpius?!"

Scorpius paused and regarded Albus with mounting frustration. "What's your problem, Al?"

"I'll tell you what my problem is!" Albus shouted, shoving the blond. Scorpius's eyes widened and he grit hit teeth. Albus threw his arms out on either side and looked at Scorpius accusingly.

"I don't like the way you're behaving, Albus."

"Oh yeah," Albus retorted, shoving the other boy again. Scorpius growled and dusted his Quidditch robes where Albus had pushed him. Albus's eyes flashed and he yelled, "You _clearly_ had them! You would've easily caught that last one!"

"I didn't expect her to come in the way!"

Albus took a step toward Scorpius and the blond automatically stepped back. Albus's eyes narrowed and he growled. "You saw her. She was coming straight at you. You could've just dodged around her and still managed to save that goal."

"It's not that easy! She was coming too fast! If I had moved, she would have crashed into the hoops!"

"And how is that any of _your _problem?! She's the enemy!"

Scorpius's mouth fell open and he stared at Albus like he had gone completely mental. "She's a friend!"

"Not on the pitch, she's not, you git."

Scorpius shook his head, completely shocked by Albus's outburst. It was true that he could have saved the final goal from Ravenclaw that would have guaranteed them a sure place in the fight for the Cup, but if Albus had waited for just a moment longer so their teammates could score, instead of just blindly zooming after the Snitch without bothering to check the numbers, they would have definitely won.

It was definitely his fault for letting the Ravenclaw Chaser get past him, but it was undeniably Albus's fault for catching the Snitch before the scores were evened out.

"What about you, then? Completely forgot to check the score before hurtling after the Snitch, didn't you? And that idiot Seeker on their side didn't even bother chasing after you. Didn't that even put you off for one second?"

"Scorpius, my job is to go after the Snitch as soon as I spot it! It's not my duty to keep an eye on the numbers - especially when I trusted that our Keeper would save that final goal without any problems! Are you telling me I was wrong to trust you?!"

Scorpius opened his mouth, but no words came out. Albus was absolutely right. He should have saved that last goal. That was his duty as a Keeper. And Albus was also right about the goal being more important than a reckless opponent who flew uncontrollably. And so, he pursed his lips and said slowly, "You're right. It was my fault. I should have moved. It's just that I knew her and I suddenly thought if I moved she'd ram into the rings—"

"If it had been James or Fred coming toward you, would you have moved?"

Scorpius was taken aback by the bitterness of Albus's voice and the hard look in his eyes. The blond shook his head, not knowing what Albus expected him to say. The other boy misunderstood the motion and he looked away, a pained look in his eyes.

"Of course not. Why would you? They're the enemy."

Albus then rounded and Scorpius and narrowing his eyes at him, said softly, "You're smitten with her, aren't you?"

Scorpius felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. He stood rooted on the spot, unable to comprehend the logic behind Albus's reasoning. The blond shook his head, shocked and stunned by the blatant accusation.

"Al—mate, you know that I love Rose—"

"Do you?"

Scorpius's eyes widened and he laughed hollowly. "Did you just ask me that?"

"Yeah, I did. And I expect an answer. An _honest_ one."

Scorpius shook his head again, raking a hand through his hair. "Mate, I've been in love with Rose for _years. _What's the point in asking me something like that now?"

"The point, Malfoy, is that up till now I had no reason to question your feelings, because _you _had no reason to question your feelings."

Scorpius felt a feeling of dread settle in the pit of his stomach. He finally caught on to Albus's train of thought. Praying that he was wrong, with his heart in his mouth, Scorpius asked weakly, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Albus shrugged a shoulder and sneered, his emerald eyes flashing dangerously. "Rose was always the only girl you were ever close to. The only one who accepted you for who you are and didn't judge you because you were a Malfoy. That's the way it was, at least, until _she _showed up."

Scorpius found his head shaking again, completely unable to believe what he was hearing. Albus thought he was lying about Rose? How could he?

"Olivia is a friend, Al. and the only reason I even speak to her is because she's a fellow Prefect."

"Oh yeah? Is that what you tell yourself when you lock yourself up in some broom cupboard with her during your 'secret' meetings?"

Now Scorpius was genuinely confused. What broom cupboard? What secret meetings?

"Albus, you are talking complete rubbish."

"Oh, is that right? Now that you don't want to accept anything I'm saying, you decide that it's complete rubbish."

"Al, for Merlin's sake! I haven't had any meetings with Olivia other than the joint ones with _all _the Prefects and the Heads!"

"Don't you dare lie to me, Malfoy!"

Scorpius winced at the venom with which Albus spat his surname.

"What about that time in the library when she asked me to ask you to meet her to 'discuss' something important?"

Scorpius's eyes widened in realization. Was _that _what he had been going on about? He laughed more openly now, waving his hand at Albus's look of outrage.

"Mate, I don't know where you're getting your information from, but I never met her."

"You bloody son of a—what?"

Scorpius grinned sheepishly at Albus. "I never met her. After you told me, because of our argument, I stormed away pretending like I was going to meet Olivia, but I didn't want to meet her as I had no reason to. The Heads hadn't given out any new information that I wasn't aware of and knew she only wanted to meet me to chat or something of the like. But since I'd just rowed with you, I couldn't go back to the Common Room – or the library, since that would be the first place she would have looked – so I went to see Hagrid and stayed with him till it was time for my patrol."

Albus's face had slowly untwisted from his intense look of dislike, to one of open confusion. "So you didn't…?"

"No," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "I didn't meet her. After that she tried several times to approach me, but I managed to avoid her by giving some excuse or the other."

"So why did you…?"

"Not move out of the way?" The blond smiled sheepishly. "Come on, mate. Don't tell me if a girl like her was hurtling toward you and you knew she'd break her face if she rammed into the goal-post, you would still move out of the way and let her lose the one thing that is the most important to a part-Veela."

Albus's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew—"

"That she was part-Veela?" Scorpius raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "_Everyone _knows. Why do you think they didn't want to make her Prefect? And why do you think they chose that Leng fellow to be the Prefect this year?"

Albus's eyes were as round as saucers, and Scorpius could literally see everything fall into place in his mind. The Potter finally shook his head and frowned, looking like he wondered where his absolutely compelling argument went.

"Sorry mate," Scorpius began and Albus looked at him. "But I'm still in love with your cousin."

Albus had the sense to flush and look away, embarrassed, while Scorpius grinned at him and asked, "So are we good, then?"

Albus nodded, falling into step beside Scorpius and making their way toward the school. After a few moments of silence, Albus said, "I'm sorry—" But was cut off by Scorpius, who slung an arm around his shoulders and laughed.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, you were right to yell at me for missing that goal. I could've easily saved it." He made a face and said, "Bloody Veelas."

Albus chortled, his mind at ease, completely agreeing with the statement.

* * *

"Ah! Scorpius!"

Scorpius groaned at the familiar voice. It was just his luck that the Sixth year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were patrolling with the Fifth year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs that night. He had done everything humanly possible – short of asking Albus to steal the Marauder's Map from his brother, which was much more of a hassle than avoiding a certain part-Veela - to make sure he wouldn't run into Olivia.

It was finally daybreak – meaning the end of his patrol – and he was thanking his lucky stars, but apparently they hadn't been lucky enough, because she had found him anyway. He wondered if he should make a run for it... The dungeons weren't very far away and considering she could never catch up to him…

"I am _so_ glad I got to see you – even if it's the end already," she giggled, coming to stand in front of him. He eyed her violet muffler – which she probably wore because it complemented her eyes – and noted with disgust that it did nothing to hide her ample bosom that was very visible from under her half unbuttoned blouse. Scorpius had half a mind to ask her why she even bothered wearing any clothes if she was going to wear them so inappropriately. Olivia must have noticed him looking, because she stuck her chest out, moving toward him, and Scorpius had a sudden feeling of déjâvù.

Feeling very uncomfortable, he undid his robe and threw it over her, thankful when he couldn't see any more of her skin below the neck. He then smiled astutely at her, nodded politely and walked away as briskly as possible without actually running. He thought she would follow, but thanked his stars that she didn't.

He barely had time to change his uniform and freshen up, before the bell for class rang shrilly. He bit back a sigh, grabbing an apple from the ever-full fruit basket by the entrance of the Common Room and sprinted to his first class of the day. As he sat taking notes in History of Magic class, he ducked every now and then to bite into the apple, savoring the sweet juicy goodness of it.

His next class was Double Arithmancy, another class he had in common with Rose, but unfortunately shared with the Ravenclaws. He found himself thanking Merlin that Olivia was a year above him, so he didn't have to deal with her during classes.

During lunch, he had hoped to see Rose, but she was nowhere in sight, and when he had asked Lily – who was trying to smuggle some pudding back into the Common Room – she simply shrugged and said Rose was probably studying in the library or something. Scorpius had half a mind to rush off to the library at that instant, but he knew that as a Prefect, it was unforgivable If he missed classes, so he made his way toward Double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, his mood as sour as it could get.

"Cheer up, mate," Albus said, poking Scorpius with a stick as he draped himself over the staircase inside the Greenhouse while they waited for Professor Longbottom. "You'll get to see her in an hour!"

Scorpius sighed, his mood growing more hopeful, at the thought of their Double Care of Magical Creatures hour.

But just as his luck would have it, as soon as he exited the Greenhouse, eyes immediately going across the grounds to Hagrid's hut, a tiny First year ran upto him, looking thoroughly winded and harassed. "Please, Prefect Malfoy, sir, Madam Ridout would like to see you immediately."

Even through his annoyance, Scorpius had to smile at the extremely polite way in which the boy had addressed him. Chuckling, he ruffled the First year's hair and asked, "What's your name?"

"It's Randall, sir!"

"Alright Randall, be a good lad and go tell Madam Ridout that I shall be there in ten minutes." Randall nodded, his eyes shining and then took off. Scorpius called after the boy as he ran, "And my name's Scorpius, not sir!"

The boy yelled something inaudible back, tripped over his robe, bowed apologetically, and ran off.

"Please tell me we weren't that miniscule when we were First years," Albus said, watching Randall's shaggy brown head disappear around the corner with a mortified expression.

Scorpius chuckled. "Does it make a difference? You're all big and strong now, aren't you?"

Albus shook his head, still staring at the corner that Randall had turned. "He could die if someone sat on him by accident."

Scorpius laughed at Albus's horrified expression and patting him on the back, made toward the library. "Tell Hagrid I said hi!"

Of all the teachers, Scorpius liked Hagrid the most. Although initially the old half-giant didn't seem to like him, after seeing him with Albus and Rose, he welcomed him warmly and kindly. "Any frien' of Al and Rosie, 's a frien' o' mine!" he had said.

Scorpius gathered his thoughts as he entered the library and made his way to the librarians desk, behind which sat an extremely grim looking Madam Ridout.

"About time you arrived Mister Malfoy," she snapped at him and sent him off to rearrange the books in the Restricted Section. He sighed and made his way grudgingly, although he was secretly glad that he had been chosen for library duty as he had been dying to get into the Restricted Section ever since first coming to Hogwarts. He had managed to get a permission slip from one of the Professors in his Third year, but only for an hour, and he had barely managed to get through three chapters of Moste Potente Potions, before Madam Ridout had scowled at him and ordered him to skedaddle (that was the word she'd used).

So, as he slid the ladder from one end of the shelf to the other, quietly humming to himself and replacing the books in the empty spaces in alphabetical order, he let himself slip into his own bubble of solitude, surrounded by the pungent scent of old books and the feel of their weight. He was so lost in thought, that he hadn't even acknowledged the possibility that there might be someone else doing the same duty as him. So when he heard the familiar voice call out his name, he very unceremoniously yelped, promptly slipping off the ladder and falling on his back on the hard floor. He groaned loudly, closing his eyes and trying to let the sharp needles of pain pass.

There was some scuffling beside him and he cracked an eye open to see a curtain of red hair above him. He tilted his face to the side and breathed in sharply, drawing back and wincing as pain shot through him.

Rose was watching him with glittering brown eyes, a small smile playing on her pink lips. She giggled and Scorpius made a face, trying to quell the urge to reach up and snog her brains out. So instead, he asked stupidly, "What're you doing here?"

She quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him and said in voice filled with laughter, "Same thing as what you're doing." And then motioning to his current state, added, "Although, not exactly what you're doing at the moment."

She bit her lip to stop from laughing, but a small giggle escaped and Scorpius was pulling her down, rolling around so she was trapped under him. She shrieked and banged her small fists against his chest, laughing uncontrollably. He felt all the exhaustion from the lack of sleep and the stress and the frustration from having to deal with Olivia and her antics drain away, as he listened quietly to her bubbling laughter, the sound so pleasant to his ears, it instantly calmed his mind and soothed his soul.

When she finally managed to quiet down to a fit of silent giggles, he smiled and leaning down, nuzzled his nose against hers. He knew he shouldn't act toward his impulses and he wanted to pull away, but he was so captivated by the way her eyes widened so he could see himself reflected clearly in them; the way her lips parted infinitesimally so he could feel her hot breath against his chin; the way her fiery auburn curls frames her face and brought out her gentle features; the way her cheeks tinged pink and her long eyelashes fluttered; the way her palms felt so extremely warm against his chest, even though he was wearing three layers to ward off the cold; the way her ankles closed around his, as though locking him in place; the way she was just so beautiful and just so perfect and he couldn't take his eyes off her even to blink…

He was so madly in love with her and the feeling just filled and enveloped him, caressing him and engulfing him… she was the epitome of perfection, if he had any say in the definition of the word, and in his dictionary, he definitely had more than a say in it. He was so lost in her eyes and his love for her, that when she whispered his name: "Scorpius," so gently, so softly, her lips barely moving, the single word that contained his entire identity seemed to feel alive and vibrant and wonderful. Some people had always made fun of his name and others had always thought it was different and fascinating, but when it came out of Rose's lips… a complete sound, her mouth moving to accommodate the syllables… he felt like he could finally accept everything about himself because Rose accepted it… because of the way she said his name so simply, because it was his and no one else's…

He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when her brows furrowed together and her eyes shimmered with worry. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, if she wanted him to move away, if she didn't like it, if she didn't like _him, _if she wanted him to go away…

But she simply reached up and swiped her thumb across his cheeks, murmuring a quiet 'What's wrong?'

And he realized belatedly that he was crying. He hadn't realized that he been so overcome with emotion like that… and it was all because of her… because she opened him out and folded him inside out and then plunging her hand into his heart, turned him right side out again… and suddenly he didn't hate himself… he didn't hate who he was, who he had been born as… he could accept things about himself that he had never thought he would be able to…

He laughed softly and pressed his lips to hers.

It took him a whole second to realize what he had done. And when he did, it was too late to undo it. He watched her with wide eyes, terrified of her reaction. But her brown eyes seemed to glitter and she smiled shyly and he felt his heart soar like a tethered Hippogriff who had broken free.

When he remained unmoving, she tilted her chin upwards and brushed her lips against his, signaling that it was OK and that he hadn't broken something unfixable. He sighed as she pulled back, meeting her mouth halfway, melting into the kiss. After a moment, she moved her lips against his and he pressed back insistently, greedy for more, yet content with what it was at the moment.

After what seemed like hours, they pulled back, only because they were human and humans had this annoying necessity to breathe. He glanced down at her parted lips and saw that they were swollen and glistening from the kiss. When he looked up, she had a molten look on her face and he wanted to devour her completely; make her his for evermore. He didn't know whether she remotely shared his sentiments or thoughts, but when she ran her warm fingers through his hair and leaned into his touch as he brushed her face, he wondered…

"Scorpius," she murmured again, her eyes half closed as she moved herself closer to him, as though she couldn't bear the nonexistent distance between them. He hummed softly in his throat as he bit her lip and smirked when she gasped. She squirmed beneath him and he could see the transformation of his features in her eyes.

The way the light silver of his irises became a stormy grey, how his eyes became hooded, how they burned with an intense desire for the girl underneath him…

And he saw how her eyes widened with fear and for a moment he thought it was because of him, but when she pushed him off and sat back, her eyes were fixed on something behind Scorpius. His heart seemed to still, as he saw the form of Madam Ridout in Rose's eyes. He slowly stood, straightened his uniform, stepped away from her, picked up the books he had been stacking and turned toward the librarian, his eyes on the ground because he was too afraid to look at her face.

Behind him, he heard Rose stand up and shuffle awkwardly to collect her forgotten books. He suddenly felt cold from the guilt that flooded him. He shouldn't have done what he had done. Not there. Not in the Restricted Section of the library. Not among the books that Madam Ridout revered and worshipped. And most definitely because Rose didn't deserve the punishment they were inevitably going to get.

He could just see it: her Prefect badge being stripped from her, along with all the power and responsibilities that she enjoyed… the look of humiliation on her face as McGonagall told her how disappointed she was… the way she would avoid his eyes whenever they passed in the hallways because it reminded her of the shameful incident… the scenes that played through his mind were endless, each worse than the one preceding it. He could feel his heart fall to his feet, as Madam Ridout bristled and he raised his eyes unconsciously, only to see the deep hatred and disgust in her dark eyes, her mouth twisted in a snarl and her face pale and ashen.

But a moment later her expression became slack, her eyes unfocused and her mouth parted, as an almost inaudible voice murmured, "_Obliviate_."

He heard Rose gasp behind him, but his head snapped to the left, intent on finding their savior.

Isaac Leng looked back at him evenly, his face blank. After a pause, he motioned toward the books and then toward Madam Ridout and Scorpius nodded shakily, unable to disobey what the frail boy said.

After an hour, they had placed all the books in their respective shelves; using their wands because there were three of them and it was easier to control the books when they all worked the same spell simultaneously. Why nobody had ever thought of this, was beyond Scorpius, as he knew generations of witches and wizards had rearranged the books in those shelves manually, afraid to use magic because it would cause havoc and destroy the weathered volumes. But with three people who were highly skilled at performing the spell, they were able to manage to arrange all the books neatly in no time at all and then dragged Madam Ridout to one of the shelves just outside the Restricted Section.

Leng placed a book in her hand and gestured for Scorpius and Rose to leave; which they did without having to be told twice.

They reached the corridor that led to the dungeons first, and Scorpius turned hesitantly to Rose, unsure of how she'd react or what he should say. But she simply stood on tiptoe, brushed her lips against his, squeezed his hand once and jogged away, her long red hair swishing behind her as she ran back toward her Common Room.

The whole way back to the Slytherin Dungeon, Scorpius kept touching his tingling lips, remembering the warmth of hers as they pressed against his. It took him exactly until he locked eyes with Albus, to flush and escape to his dorm room hurriedly.

* * *

**A/n: Erm, so this chapter was really weird for me because I wanted to fit in that bit where Albus confronted Scorpius and then just move along to the main part, but I think I ended up making it quite haphazard, but was quite unwilling to rewrite it, so bear with me on that.**

**As for the argument at the beginning, in the previous chapter I mentioned Al foreseeing a row between the two boys, and it happens, as mentioned by Scorpius, before the Quidditch match that takes place before the beginning of this chapter. I just sort of wanted Scorpius to tell Al straight out that Olivia meant little to nothing to him.**

**Also, most of what came after that is much more of the same. I wanted to add in his exact feelings toward Olivia, since I've never written it from Scorpius's perspective, and then continue on with it until the actual kiss happens. (IT FINALLY HAPPENED AGH I AM SO HAPPY) This entire chapter is all over the place mostly because I wanted to bring in the feel of Scorpius being stressed out, overworked, exhausted and generally absent-minded toward everything that wasn't Rose. Which is why there's little to no elaboration on what he does until the library scene. **

**Somehow I thought their first kiss wouldn't be perfect unless it was in the Restricted Section of the library. I dunno, it just felt right.**

**I know how weird this chapter is in comparison to my normal ones guys, so if a lot of you think it needs to be rewritten, then I shall do so! Review and tell me what you think!**

**Love~**


	20. Hasty (Rose's Heart)

**A/n: Happy Christmas everyone! Hope Santa gives you everything you want this time around! Make sure to leave him something nice to eat!**

**And with this, we've reached the half way point to this story! Phew, we've come a long way, haven't we?**

**While you're here reading this, two shoutouts: go check out my Scorose Christmas one-shot A Thousand Years! And let me know what you think of it on the reviews!**

**And second, read Black Hearts by NightmarePrince! It's also a Scorose fic and you'll know why I've recommended it once you read it! It is absolutely fantastic, you have my word!**

**This chapter is not themed Christmas, but coincidentally the very first line mentions it!**

**Hohoho and a mountain load of gifts!**

**P.s, this is an extra long chapter so have fun with that!**

**Lots and lots of love~**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Hasty**

**(Rose's Heart)**

* * *

The incident in the library had taken place exactly a week before Christmas break; which meant that neither Scorpius nor Rose could share more than half a dozen hurried words whenever they happened to pass each other in the hallways. What with the amount of homework the teachers were piling on them and their Prefect duties, she barely had the time to eat or sleep, much less daydream about the kiss she and Scorpius had shared. But on the off chance that she did think about it, she hurriedly pushed it out of her mind, biting her lip to stop herself from grinning down at her homework like an utter fool.

She had hoped that maybe she would get to spend a little more time with him before leaving, but with no luck. Even on the train journey home for Christmas, they had to patrol the corridors and her shift and his never matched, meaning when she had finished her shift and gone to see if he was free, he had just started his, and by the time he had finished his, the Hogwarts Express was already pulling into King's Cross Station.

The two weeks at the Burrow passed by in a blur. Whenever she could slip away, she would hole herself up in her father's old room and stare dreamily outside the window, content with doing silly things like writing hers and Scorpius's names in the fog her breath created against the glass. After the time when Ginny almost caught her, she started to use rune symbols instead of English letters.

Speaking of letters, neither of them had written to each other throughout the break and although Rose fretted about it constantly, she contented herself with imagining that the reason why he didn't write to her was because his words and feelings couldn't be expressed through a piece of parchment (she was actually spot on). So as she finally arrived back in school two weeks later – still not having seen Scorpius as he had returned four days earlier as his parents were leaving to Moscow – her eyes flitted to every corner and every tall blond until Albus finally snapped at her in irritation.

She had almost lost hope of seeing Scorpius any time soon, till that evening, when the new patrol schedule was handed out. Her heart leaped when she saw that the Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors had joint patrols every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – starting that Wednesday - with Sixth year Hufflepuffs and – her heart fell slightly – Ravenclaws. So that meant they'd have to constantly keep am eye out for Olivia along with the usual petty offenders.

But thankfully, other than on Fridays, their paths didn't cross with the Sixth years – who were in charge of patrolling the ground floor, first and second floors, while the Fifth years were in charge of the three floors above.

So she waited with an incurable sense of anticipation, bouncing up and down throughout the day, as Wednesday night finally approached. The second dinner was done, she rounded on her fellow Gryffindor Prefect – Christopher Revels - and begged him to partner with the female Slytherin Prefect – Cynthia Haight. He didn't look too happy with the arrangement, but when she promised to set him up on a date to Hogsmeade with Olivia Barnes – it was quite easy really, just tell her Scorpius was waiting for her and she'd traipse off happily without question – and she finally waited with bated breath at the end of the corridor that led to the dungeons.

Scorpius emerged a minute later, chatting amicably with his fellow Prefect, before his eyes fell on Rose and his face split into a delighted grin. Completely forgetting that he had still been in mid-conversation, he hurried over to her, enveloping her in a brief hug. The other two made off – the Slytherin girl a little reluctantly – and Scorpius beamed at Rose.

"Hi."

"Hi," she replied, breathily, feeling her face getting hot. Scorpius fell into step beside her and motioned toward the hallway with a flourish.

"After you, my lady."

Rose giggled and stepped forward and Scorpius was instantly by her side, grinning as he looked straight ahead. They walked in companionable silence for a while, unwilling to disturb the peace and quiet of the Hogwarts hallways at night. After two hours of patrolling the fifth floor, they moved onto the one below it, talking in low tones about their holidays and everything they'd missed out in each other's lives since the year had started.

After a while they reached the Third floor, and they walked in silence, suddenly realising that their patrol was coming to an end. Rose belatedly wondered why they hadn't crossed paths with the other two Prefects – one pair patrolled from the top floor downwards and the other pair patrolled the bottom floor and went upwards, meaning they would inevitably meet somewhere in the middle so they could exchange notes or warn the other two about places where students seemed to be lurking – but the four had never bumped into each other, which Rose found weird.

Scorpius seemed to share the sentiment, because he pondered quietly as he walked beside her. There was a sudden noise behind them, from one of the empty classrooms and they immediately spun on their heels, drawing their wands out and creeping up along the wall. The door to the classroom was cracked open and Rose put her eye to it, trying to make out the shapes inside, but it was too dark. She and Scorpius exchanged glances and after Scorpius mouthed to three, they burst into the room, their wands held out in front of them, the tips throwing light across the room from non-verbal Lumos spells and Scorpius said rather loudly,

"Hold it right there!"

The two shadowy figures in the front of the classroom froze and Rose bit back a sigh as she noted that they were older students, probably Fifth or Sixth years. As the pair drew closer, Scorpius moved his wand slightly and the blue light caught the girl's hair – which looked like a pale, silvery colour – and Rose found something vaguely familiar about it. It took them a little longer than anticipated, to slowly make their way through the many desks and benches without taking their eyes off the two in the front of them and not bump into the furniture. Finally, they reached the two and Rose gasped, while Scorpius stiffened beside her.

"You," Scorpius hissed in disgust, his wand shivering.

Olivia smirked back at him, her already pale skin looking like ceramic in the light and her violet eyes were a dark, creepy shade of black. She giggled in a shrill, high-pitched way, turning to face them. Rose immediately blanched.

The girl's blouse was open and she wore nothing underneath. Her skirt was pushed so high up her legs, she was basically naked. There was sharp intake of breath beside her and Rose glanced sideways to see that Scorpius had directed his wand toward the person standing behind Olivia – who happened to be Thomas Trevor, the Sixth year Gryffindor Prefect – and was pointedly looking away from the exposed girl. Olivia was watching Scorpius closely, the smirk still in place and Rose felt herself swell with anger, as she flicked her wand, wordlessly casting a spell for the buttons of her blouse to close shut and her skirt to straighten out to its full length upto her knees.

"Get up," Rose said in a low voice, motioning for Olivia to move with her wand. The blonde didn't even look phased by the fact that she – a Prefect - had been caught red-handed committing an indecent act at the dead of night, completely disregarding and breaking every rule in the book. Her eyes still on Scorpius, she sidled off the desk, brushed past a rigid Scorpius and sauntered toward the door. Rose followed her with disgust, her wand pointed straight at the part-Veela's back. She heard Scorpius grab Trevor – who looked dazed and confused - by the collar and push him toward the door as well, taking the path on the other side of the one Rose and Olivia were taking, so Trevor didn't make a sudden dash toward the girls or the door.

They made their way down the dimly lit hallways, as the first rays of sunlight began to appear through the windows. After depositing the two in front of the entrance of the Headmistress' office and giving the password, they made sure the duo went up the spiraling staircase and made their way back toward the corridor that split off towards their respective Common Rooms.

They paused for a moment and Rose looked up into Scorpius's shimmering, albeit tired, silver eyes and he flashed his rare smile at her, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair, that had escaped her ponytail, behind her ear. He stalled for a moment and then gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. She felt herself flush and bit her lip, satisfied to see the way his eyes traveled down to her mouth and widened. He swallowed and snapped his eyes back up to hers. She stepped closer, slowly reaching up on her toes to kiss him, just as he bent lower…

But the moment was shattered by the sound of students trooping down to the Great Hall for breakfast and the two abruptly pulled apart, said hasty goodbyes and retreated to their respective Common Rooms. She hoped beyond hope that she would catch him some time soon and get some lunch together or the like, but even she knew the improbability of that happening, as she trudged into her dorm and mechanically began dressing herself.

* * *

By Friday, the entire school knew about the fiasco with Olivia – it still unnerved Rose by how fast news traveled to so many students so quickly – and she had been stripped of her Prefect's badge, along with all the duties, responsibilities, benefits and what was left of her dignity. But she was seen sauntering around in much the same way as before, seeming slightly more threatening because she unabashedly flaunted her Veela powers at everyone within a three meter radius of her.

Luckily for Trevor, Rose and Louis and the other two Prefects had supported him greatly and Rose stated clearly in her report that he had obviously been affected by Olivia's Veela powers. McGonagall finally let him off with several severe detentions and punishments, as he had apparently blabbered the whole truth the second he had reached the Headmistress' office.

But the worst part of the whole Olivia incident, was that Louis had found out about Scorpius and Rose's little _arrangement_ – as he liked to call it – and had immediately taken measures to see that the wouldn't partner together. Which meant Rose was stuck with her Head Boy cousin for every patrol until the end of the year. She hadn't gone down without a fight though.

_"Louis!" she yelled, storming up to the lounging blonde and waving the piece of parchment in her hand. _

_He looked up from his book, curiously. "Yes?"_

_"What is this rubbish?"_

_He eyed the parchment and a slow, amused smile played on his face. "A piece of—"_

_"I swear, I will hit you if you finish that sentence."_

_Louis simply shifted into a more comfortable position and eyed his younger cousin lazily. "Is there a problem?"_

_"Yes! Why am I paired with you on every patrol?!"_

_"Ah.. that," he said casually, as though they were commenting on the weather. Rose's face heated up and she glowered down at him._

_"Louis Weasley, I've had quite enough of your cheek!"_

_Louis' eyes flashed but the lazy smile remained on his face. He tilted his head at her and raised his eyebrows. "What's got you so flustered, Rosie? Is it so bad that you get to patrol with your beloved brother?"_

_Rose opened her mouth but Louis cut her off with a quiet, "Or is it because you've been disregarding my instructions and have been having fun with Scorpius Malfoy?"_

_Rose shut her mouth and swallowed. So he had been angry about that after all. "I—it was only that one time… because we barely get to see each other anymore and—"_

_"Doesn't matter. You'll be with me starting today," he said with finality, turning back to his book._

_Rose fumed and spinning on her heel, stomped out the Portrait Hole. Of the three siblings, Louis was always the one Rose could never handle. She could get both Dominique and Victoire to listen to her, but when it came to Louis… the boy had this sort of self-imposed demeanor of superiority that kept everyone at bay and made their every argument invalid. Bill was probably the only one that could get Louis to obey him unconditionally._

She huffed, slumping down beside her cousin at the Slytherin table and stealing his Cauldron Cake. She wished that night never came.

But it inevitably did, and she dragged her feet as she walked beside Louis – who was supplying her with a soft, constant flow of chatter that she really did not want to listen to. She had been replaced by the Head Girl – Jena Sarver from Hufflepuff – who was currently patrolling the fifth floor corridor with Revels. She wasn't sure which floor the Slytherin Fifth years had been asked to patrol, but continued to pray that she would bump into Scorpius by chance.

Her chance came with a bit of ill luck, as they spotted Cynthia running toward them, a terrified expression on her face. She came to a stop a few feet away and began to speak immediately, barely able to get her words around the wheezing and panting. Louis Conjured a glass of water and she gulped it down, intent on conveying whatever made her run all the way there.

"Thank goodness I found you," she gasped, as Louis magicked the glass into nothingness. "It's horrible—he was right there and—and I saw him! And then he was gone and I—I looked everywhere!"

Louis laid a consoling hand on her shoulder and looked at her meaningfully. "You're Cynthia, right?" When she nodded, he continued, "Alright, I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Who disappeared where?"

Rose's heart was already racing, her mind whirling with worst case scenarios, already guessing who Cynthia was talking about, but when the girl choked out Scorpius's name, she felt her chest clench painfully. Scorpius really had a knack of being in the wrongest places at the wrongest times, if last year's near death incident wasn't proof enough of it.

"We were patrolling the Third floor corridors and we were searching the classrooms from opposite ends," she spoke in a rush, like she couldn't afford to waste a second longer, "and I could hear him at the other end, opening and closing doors… but suddenly it got really quiet and I thought for a moment that maybe he'd finished already, which was not possible, now that I think about it, considering the sheer amount of rooms…" she trailed off, shaking her head and staring at a spot on the ground. Louis urged her to continue.

"And then I looked back and—" she shook her head, eyeing the older boy fearfully, her eyes pooling with tears, "—he was gone! Just like that! I thought maybe he'd gone into one of the classrooms and I checked every one of them but—" She shook her head, trembling, "he had completely disappeared! And I know for a fact that it's impossible to vanish into thin air anywhere inside the school grounds…"

Louis cast her a thoughtful look, as though expecting her to say more. But when she didn't, he nodded, Conjured his Patronus – which was a female Kangaroo – and sent it off to inform the other Prefects and the Head Girl. He then nodded at the two of them and said, "Stay here. I'll go ask the Portraits if they saw anything."

They watched him walk away and Rose drew closer to Cynthia, reaching out to hold the girl's clammy hand in hers. The green-eyed Slytherin looked up at her with an expression that said she hadn't told Louis the full truth.

"What is it," Rose urged gently and Cynthia said hesitantly,

"I think it's Olivia…"

Rose frowned. "You think what's Olivia?"

The other girl shook her head. "I didn't say this before, because I had a feeling that Weas—Louis would immediately go looking for her and not Scorpius. He doesn't seem to like Scorpius very much, does he?"

Rose had to purse her lips at that because it was probably more than partly true. Louis, who was generally very pleasant and good to everyone, irrespective of house or age, had treated Scorpius the best among all her cousins – after Albus – until the incident the previous year. She didn't know whether he was frightened that Scorpius would get Rose into some sort of trouble again or just decided he didn't like the blond in general, but his immediate reaction to the knowledge of her patrolling with Scorpius seemed to prove that he didn't trust the other boy one bit.

"Why do you think Olivia has anything to do with this?"

Cynthia looked toward Louis – who was chatting amicably with a Portrait down the corridor – and said slowly, "We actually happened to see her about twenty minutes before Scorpius disappeared."

Rose's mouth fell open. No matter how much Louis disliked the blond, there was no reason to hide something this big from him!

Cynthia continued without noticing Rose's expression. "She was standing outside the Clock Tower Entrance and just, sort of, staring off into space. Her back was to us so she probably didn't notice us coming, but when she did—" Cynthia shook her head and paled "—it was so creepy, seeing her just standing there in the dead of night. And when she turned to look at us…her eyes had this hollow look in them and she was so pale… almost like a ghost, and her mouth was constantly moving, like she was talking to someone only she could see or like she was muttering some incantation or something…"

Cynthia wrapped her arms around herself in shivered. "It was like she was staring right at us but not really seeing us. We didn't know what to do. We thought she may be sleep walking, so Scorpius didn't want to disturb her or wake her up, so we just stood there. And then she suddenly smiled in this eerie, dead-person sort of way and it really freaked us out. I suggested we just leave her be and come back to check on her once we finished our rounds… Scorpius agreed so we just left and…" she had been shaking her head the whole time, like she regretted not hexing Olivia on sight.

Just then Louis' Patronus galloped up to him and after a moment, disappeared. The Head Boy walked briskly toward them, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

"Listen, I want you to return to your Common Rooms and go to bed—" both the girls immediately exclaimed in outrage, but Louis simply held his hand up and directing his gaze at Rose said, "It might not be safe. I'm sending all the girls back. If you want to help, I suggest you go wake Professor Slughorn, Professor Milnes (who was head of Ravenclaw) and Professor McGonagall and tell them that two students are missing."

Rose gasped, clasping her hands to her mouth. Cynthia was shaking her head resolutely. Louis shot them a small smile and strode down the hallway, his robes billowing behind him. Rose watched him for a moment and then grabbing Cynthia's hand, dragged her in the direction of the Headmistress' office.

Within a half hour, the three Professors had rounded up all the Prefects, the Heads and the other teachers and they had commenced a full-blown search of the castle. After the majority of the female Prefects declared their outrage at being left out of the search, it was decided that either a male Prefect or a teacher would escort every girl. It was an unnecessary precautionary measure that was put forth - that no girl could wander in the corridors after curfew, alone - after several 'incidents' that had taken place after the War.

She was currently patrolling the grounds with Albus – who had been woken up and dragged out by Cynthia without the teachers' knowledge, and after a heated discussion, they finally allowed him to partake in the search, because Louis had said it wouldn't harm to have extra help – and Neville. Neville had already thoroughly searched the Greenhouses before joining them, so they were combing the edge of the Forbidden Forest, making their way toward Hagrid's hut.

The Gamekeeper had retired from teaching two years ago and the position had been taken over by a very unfriendly woman called Yasmine Hitchins, although Hagrid made it a point to oversee all her classes. "Can' trus' these youngins, I'm tellin' yeh," he'd said.

Hagrid waved tiredly at them from outside his hut and asked as they drew closer, "Any news yet, Neville?"

Neville shook his head and said solemnly, "If Professor Milnes' group and Professor Slughorn's group don't find any trace of them around the lake or the Whomping Willow…" he trailed off, glancing wearily toward the eerie path that led into the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid coughed and shook his head, looking old. "Whas' Hogwarts come to, wi' all these attacks and disappearing studen's and what not."

Neville laughed shakily. "Professor McGonagall's in a right state. Doesn't know what she'll tell the Malfoys. This is the second incident in a year, happening to that boy."

Rose and Albus stood slightly behind the two conversing men, pretending to be deeply interested in observing what Thunder – Hagrid's new Boarhound – had dug up, while they listened keenly to their conversation.

"Can' say they woulda made it very far," Hagrid said drily, motioning toward the Forest.

Neville stiffened and said in a monotone, "Hagrid, I'd appreciate if you didn't say such off-putting things."

Hagrid chuckled darkly and muttered an apology.

After what seemed like ages – but was actually a quarter of an hour later – Professor Milnes' Patronus, a bluebird, warbled to them in Milnes' sharp, hollow voice, "We found the boy on the farthest side of the lake. He was unconscious, but didn't seem to have sustained severe injuries. He has just regained consciousness and I am transporting him to the Hospital Wing with Mister Craig immediately. I shall continue to search for Miss Barnes."

The message was short and to the point, but everyone sighed in relief. Scorpius was OK. Everything was OK.

Albus looked to Neville and asked, "Professor, may we be excused?"

Neville regarded him for a moment and then nodded, muttering something about searching for Olivia by himself.

Rose and Albus dashed off toward the school, not stopping till they reached the Hospital Wing. They pushed the door open and hurried inside. They paused at the sight of a grave looking McGonagall and an absolutely delirious Madam Palms. The Matron was shrieking at the Headmistress – who was staring back with pursed lips. Albus moved toward the bed, whose curtains were drawn, and slipped in through the side. Rose followed, glancing toward the Headmistress and glad that neither her nor the Matron had spotted them.

Scorpius was sitting up and looked at them wide-eyed when they entered. Albus grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Got to hand it to you mate, even James and Fred haven't ever created as much of a fuss as you did."

Rose smacked Albus on the head and Scorpius chuckled shakily. Just then, Madam Palms had quieted down and shooting them a look, Albus hurried outside, announcing his presence to the two women. The Matron immediately began screeching again and the pair winced, grateful for Albus's sacrifice.

Scorpius finally turned to Rose and made a face. "Did they find her?"

Rose shook her head and then asked softly, "What happened?"

He sighed.

"Olivia's been going through a lot of stress – apparently – because of which she's been behaving the way she has."

Rose looked disbelievingly at the blond and he shrugged. "I did some research into her background and found out she comes from a family with a long line of ancestors with several known and unknown personality disorders."

Rose's eyes widened and he smiled gravely. "She didn't mean to behave the way she did, it was just in her blood. But apparently she'd had her sleepwalking under control for several years because of regular healing sessions and potions to keep it in check. She'd stopped taking her dosages for whatever reasons and that coupled with her being caught and stripped of her Prefect badge… she lost it."

Scorpius was staring at Albus' shadow on the curtain. "I found out about all of this when I came back early to school after Christmas break. Found her sleepwalking and informed Professor McGonagall immediately. But apparently Olivia refused to take her potions and McGonagall was forced to take strict action against her when we sent Olivia to her two days ago."

Scorpius sighed tiredly and said, "Apparently she had wanted to become Prefect to keep her sleepwalking in check. Since she'd have to stay awake, there wouldn't be any problems. But when she was denied that…it really creeped me out to see her just standing there and talking to herself, so I slipped away and followed her. She must have heard or sensed me, because she kept motioning toward wherever she was going to go. When she left the castle, I started to panic. I wanted to go and call a teacher, but I didn't want to leave her alone, at the same time. So I tried to draw her toward the Greenhouses, hoping to alert Professor Longbottom…"

Scorpius paled and stared at his hands. He shook his head and said lowly, "And then she went ballistic. She completely lost it. She started to scream and ran off toward the lake. I thought maybe Professor Longbottom or at least Hagrid would have heard her and ran after her… I thought she was going to jump… I tried to catch her but she jumped onto me and…"

He took his face in his hands, sighing tiredly. Rose stroked his hair and said softly, "At least she didn't hurt you."

Scorpius's head snapped up and he frowned at Rose in confusion. "Hurt me? Why would she hurt me?"

Rose mirrored his confusion and said, "Didn't she attack you?"

Scorpius inclined his head to regard Rose with a weird expression and then said hollowly, "She didn't attack me. She kissed me."

Rose felt her heart jolt in her chest and her breathing stilled. "She _kissed_ you?"

Scorpius nodded once and Rose blanched. "And did you—did you kiss back?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Excuse me?"

"Did you kiss her back?"

"Rose, are you mental? That girl was half out of her mind!"

"So you did kiss her then."

Rose felt her face heat up and she pulled back slightly. Scorpius made a face like she had physically hurt him. He shook his head in shock, staring at her wide-eyed. "Rose, what would you have done? If I hadn't done something, she would have thrown herself into the lake or maybe thrown me into it, or both!"

"So you _kissed _her?"

"I didn't know what else to do! She just looked so hopeless—and I had to stall till a teacher found us—"

"Don't tell me you lost consciousness because you snogged each other's brain out!"

"We did not _snog each other's brains out!"_

By then they were screaming at each other. Rose had stood up and was glaring furiously down at Scorpius and he was looking at her like she was completely out of her mind. They were shouting so loudly, that Madam Palms had paused in her tirade to snap the curtains open and stare at them.

"Why are you being so unreasonable about this whole thing!" Scorpius shouted at Rose, raking a hand through his hair.

"Oh, I'm being unreasonable, am I? Fine then. Please tell me exactly what you were thinking when you snogged that girl."

"Nothing!"

"Oh, really. Is that what happened at Slughorn's Christmas Party as well?"

"Yes!"

"And in the library?"

Rose's voice had dropped so low, it was barely a whisper. Scorpius's eyes widened and his jaw set. His silver eyes flashed menacingly.

"Rose, don't you dare."

"Or what, Malfoy? Are you going to try to snog my brains out too?"

Scorpius's face hardened and he hissed, "Leave."

Rose's eyes filled with tears and she swallowed. "Fine," she choked and turning on her heel, ran out. She didn't even hear Albus or McGonagall calling after her as her ears were filled with the sound of her blood rushing to her head.

She ran toward Gryffindor Tower, tears streaming down her face, oblivious to the alarmed looks she was getting or the anxious whispers following after her. She ran into James and Fred who looked at her with bewildered expressions and locked herself in her dorm room, refusing to open the door to anyone.

She was mentally and emotionally exhausted and bone-tired. She didn't even have the energy to think about the night's events. She belatedly realized that class would start in a few hours, but her exhaustion took over and for the first time in her life, sleep was more important. In barely a few minutes, she had cried herself to sleep, sobbing quietly into her pillow.

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**A/n: Er, well, quite a bit happened in this chapter, didn't it? Sorry that it's so long, I couldn't break it off in the middle for obvious reasons.**

**And yes, I agree that Rose was completely unreasonable (I'm actually quite annoyed at her at the moment) but let me remind you of whose daughter she is. That's right, Ron Bilius 'emotional range of a teaspoon' Weasley. And also Hermione, but I associate Rose's pettiness mostly to Ron. In her defence, she's a confused fifteen-year-old who doesn't know what she's going through and there's a beautiful, older girl trying to get into the pants of the boy she loves and she thinks it's working, because Scorpius obviously looks much more in his element with Olivia than her.. (Shite I'm starting to sound like Rose I'm going to stop now) and hormones and everything.**

**Anyway, I want to know what you guys thought of this chapter. And cookie points to whoever picks out the nice bit in here. **

**Have a great Chritmas lovelies!**

**Lots of love and Merry Christmas!**


	21. Fluttering Heartstrings

**Chapter 21**

**Fluttering Heartstrings**

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The general belief that time flew by only when one was having fun wasn't entirely true, Rose had come to find. If one was stressed enough and lacked enough sleep and felt like their brain was going to explode, then time would be one constraint that wouldn't hold one back at all. In fact, if one was so busy that to be able to sit down for more than five minutes was a luxury, then time would be something that was quite literally unattainable.

Rose found this out for herself in the next few months of the school term. If her Prefect duties weren't draining every ounce of energy in her, the extra assignments and homework that the teachers were doling out without holding back, plus studying for the upcoming OWLs, and trying to grab at least a couple hours of shut-eye in a week, were quite honestly driving her to the brink of insanity.

She was constantly in the foulest of moods, snapped at everyone who even breathed too loudly, cut points left right and centre, and was always seen with a folder of parchment or a text book in her hands and a quill behind her ear or in her hair. She had also taken to spending every free hour either reading or sleeping in the library. She found it the most serene and peaceful place and it let her relax, and her mind was so full to the brim with everything that the incident which had taken place there was barely ever in the forefront.

Speaking of the incident, Rose hadn't so much as _seen_ Scorpius after their argument, let alone spoken to him or sorted things out. Once she had calmed down enough to sit and think about it, she realized that she was the one at fault for unnecessarily being jealous. It wasn't even like the two of then were in a committed relationship. All they ever did was dance around each other and their feelings, but never actually admit what they felt for one another.

Their schedules were so varied that they barely even ate meals at the same time. Rose continued to patrol with Louis – who had rearranged the schedules so Slytherin patrolled on alternate days from theirs – and found those few hours the only time she could relax and talk or think about nothing of importance.

She was quite unprepared – which was more than a slight exaggeration – for the exams, but got through them with flying colours all the same. She found that she had a very good instinct when it came to viable questions that were going to be asked and gladly marked them for an extremely frazzled Albus, so that he actually was able to do quite well on most of his OWLs without much help. The week after the exams, Rose used the free time to rejuvenate herself by sleeping day in and day out – classes for the Fifth years were only compulsory for those who needed them and she most definitely didn't – and eating as much as she possibly could without throwing up.

By the time she was boarding the Hogwarts Express, she felt well rested and well fed and glad to be going home. Now that she was finally free, though, she found that her mind constantly kept flitting to Scorpius and their argument and how she still hadn't spoken to him about it, or apologized, or even seen him, for that matter.

That was when the last Prefects' meeting for the term was held.

"We want to thank you all wholeheartedly, for making this year easy for us and reducing our work-load so we didn't explode from it," Louis said jovially, shaking the girls' hands and patting the boys on the back. When he came to Scorpius, he pulled him into an awkward one-armed hug and grinned at the look of astonishment on the younger boy's face.

"I leave my dear cousin in your hands," he chortled, exiting the carriage to start the first patrol.

Soon everybody had cleared out except for Rose and Scorpius and when he made to leave, she abruptly slid the door shut and stood against it, like she was guarding the only exit. She eyed Scorpius wearily, biting her lip. He looked down at her with a slight frown, as though not knowing how to react to her blocking his way. She swallowed and before Scorpius could speak, said in a small voice, "I am so extremely sorry."

His eyes widened infinitesimally and then narrowed slightly. He stepped back and crossed his arms, choosing to remain silent. Rose swallowed the lump in her throat and scuffed the heel of her shoe against the floor. She wanted to look away from his cool gaze, but she knew if she did, she wouldn't be able to stop him from leaving. So instead, she did the next best thing.

She stepped forward, got on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

His reaction was something she didn't expect. He stiffened at the suddenness of the kiss but then drew back and pushed her away, wiping his mouth. She felt stung at the rejection and tears filled her eyes. She shook her head, knowing he had every right to be angry.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, sniffling and leaning against the door.

Scorpius rested against the small table on the opposite end. Rose swallowed and stared at the floor, the distance between them becoming painful to bear. She finally opened her mouth and spoke to his shiny leather shoes, "You have every right to not want to speak to me. In fact, I'm just thankful that you're still here."

Scorpius made an impatient sound and she continued hurriedly, "I had no right to accuse you of what I did. You were obviously just doing whatever you thought was best in that situation. I just—I couldn't bear the thought of—of you kissing that girl! I could only see that scene from when she kissed you in the Christmas Party and I just—I lost it. I never thought I would be so jealous, but I was!"

She continued to stare at his shoes, swiping her hand across her cheek to wipe away the tears. The silence was so loud and overbearing, Rose had half a mind to scream and shout just to get rid of it.

"Why?"

His voice was quiet and distant when he spoke, but because he had, her eyes immediately flickered up to his and she saw the tornado of emotions in those stormy grey orbs…

His question could mean so many things, Rose realized. Why had she been jealous? Why had she reacted so strongly to one kiss that held no meaning? Why had she gotten so defensive about what had transpired between her and him in the library? Why had she felt cheated and betrayed? Why did she think she had the right to feel cheated and betrayed?

But mostly, why was she standing there saying all these things to him?

The answer was so obvious and common to every one of those questions, that Rose found it funny in the most twisted, ironic way. Her feelings for Scorpius had always been something extremely fragile, which would break at the smallest of touches, but could be saved with the simplest of caresses. She had always felt strongly about Scorpius; whether she had despised him or liked him as a friend or even what she was feeling now…

She smiled tremulously, the tears finally spilling down her face, as she said breathlessly, "Because I love you, Scorpius."

His eyes widened and his entire demeanor changed. It was like a dam had finally been opened, as emotion after emotion swam across his face. In one long stride he was in front of her, pressing her against the door.

"Rose," he breathed, his lips inches away from hers.

And she had had enough. The yawning distance had reduced to nothing, yet he was too far away. Their bodies were pressed together, yet there was too much in between them. When his mouth came crashing down on hers, she leaned into the kiss as much as humanly possible, wanting to melt into him.

She remembered something Scorpius had said to her a some time ago. Something about feeling like a tethered Hippogriff breaking free and soaring through the sky. That was how she felt then, as he crushed her between his own body and the door; as her arms twisted around his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair; as her legs curled around his waist as he picked her up and used the door to support her weight; as he wound one arm around her leg and the other through her thick curls; as he snogged her mindlessly, unwilling to even break away for breath; she was soaring higher than any Hippogriff, unfurling her wings and shrieking with joy as the wind whipped through her hair.

She had been so lost in her petty jealousy and her inadequacy and her muddled feelings, that she had completely ignored how intensely she felt about him; how furiously she loved him; how fiercely she wanted to belong to only him; it was driving her insane in a way that neither her studies nor her Prefect duties ever had.

When they finally pulled away, breathing hard, gasping and panting for breath, she looked into his stormy eyes and realized that he had drawn to the exact same conclusion she had. The murky grey of his eyes glittered in a way they never had before, and his mouth turned up in such a self-important smirk, she had to smash her lips to his just to wipe it off his face.

He gripped her legs and she tightened her ankles around his waist, kissing him as fiercely as he was kissing her. When they finally broke apart again, he shook his head in amazement, staring at her with eyes full of affection.

"Wow," he breathed and she felt her flush grow hotter. She swallowed, as she ran her hands through his silky locks.

"Yeah," she said just as breathlessly, watching as he licked his lips.

He then leaned forward and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, murmuring against her skin, "I love you."

Her skin tingled from his hot breath and she sighed as she tugged on his hair so his lips met hers.

"Rose," he groaned against her mouth, her lips vibrating from the words, sending a shiver through her entire body.

"Mm," she hummed back, as he bit her lower lip like he had done in the library. He pulled back to stare into her eyes and she raked her hands through his hair again, because she found that she simply loved the softness of it in between her fingers. He laughed lightly and brushed his lips against hers, pulling back after a moment. The chaste kiss left her lips tingling and yearning for more.

But, as she had come to learn, time never waited for anyone's convenience and teamed up with fate and luck to pull the nastiest tricks at the best/worst of times.

They both jumped three feet in the air when someone banged against the door. Scorpius hurriedly put her down, trying to brush his hair back into its original state, while Rose adjusted her uniform and tried to slow down her racing heart. When they stepped back from the door and it slid open to reveal an agitated Albus, they knew instantly that they had been found out.

Albus pursed his lips and gave them both a once over, taking in the tousled hair, the flushed faces, the shimmering eyes, the swollen lips and their general disheveled appearance.

"Right," he snapped, jerking his head to the right, "Louis told me to call you both to join the final farewell party we're throwing in our usual compartment. If now's a good time for you, of course."

They spluttered, turning red and followed after Albus, who just rolled his eyes at them and muttered something under his breath that sounded very much like how he was better off when his two best friends didn't get along. Scorpius cleared his throat lightly and entangled his fingers with Rose's. She smiled, squeezing his hand. She looked up at him to see that he was looking down at her with that rare, genuine smile of his and she felt her heartstrings flutter. She smiled shyly back at him, and he leaned closer to bump his shoulder against hers. She giggled and mirrored the action. He grinned down at her.

"Right," Albus's annoyed voice cut in on their moment yet again and they looked up to see the blatant irritation on his face. "If you two could keep your disgusting display of affection to a minimum," he said, gesturing to the door of the compartment.

Rose smiled sheepishly and let go of Scorpius's hand, stepping away from him and immediately feeling the lack of his warmth. Albus looked pointedly at them and then entered the compartment, which - to Rose's extreme surprise - had been expanded using Extension charms and housed about twenty people in it. Rose sat down beside Lily – who shot her a knowing look – and Scorpius was forced to sit on the other end by Albus. She kept stealing glances at him and saw that every time she was looking his way, their eyes would meet, because he was looking at her.

All in all, the train journey was filled with laughter and merriment.

When they got off on Platform 9¾, Rose and Albus were immediately surrounded by a gang of redheads (as they stood out the most) and everyone began talking simultaneously, hugging and exchanging greetings all at the same time. Rose laughed as Ron hugged her over Molly and then turned back, suddenly realising Scorpius wasn't by her side anymore. She scanned the crowd and saw that he was slightly away from the throng of people, hugging a teary-eyed Astoria and an ever-stoic Draco.

She was distracted as her mother pulled her into a hug and soon she was being passed around, earning hugs from every member of the family. There was a raucous noise where James, Fred and George were hooting and clapping Louis on the back – who had a medal around his neck that read 'First Head Boy of the Next Gen'. He laughed as Victoire hugged him with tears in her eyes, telling her little brother how proud she was and as Dominique made gagging motions behind her sister's back.

Soon they were making their way toward the barrier that led to King's Cross, and someone grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her away from her family. She looked up into dancing silver eyes and found herself flushing. Scorpius was fidgeting, as he looked at the retreating backs of the Potter-Weasley clan and then the patient faces of his parents.

"Listen," he said hurriedly, reaching out to place something very small in her hand, "write to me."

She smiled up at him, unwilling to say goodbye just yet. "I will," she said and suddenly disregarding the fact that all of her family and his were staring at them, got on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

His eyes widened but he chuckled, pinching her nose and saying fondly, "Bye Rose."

She grinned up at him as he pulled her into a brief hug and replied with a happy, "Bye Scorpius."

When she rejoined her family, she hooked her arm with Albus's and hummed happily to herself - choosing to ignore everybody's reactions. She would get hell from her father and maybe the others too, but just then she was too content to care.

She looked down at what he had placed in her hand and her smile widened at the sight of the miniscule note that said simply, 'Happy Christmas'. She giggled, realising he must have been too shy or nervous or both, to give her the traditional Christmas-charm present that year.

Attached to the note was a single, tiny, silver heart.

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**A/n: Hello, all. I know what you're feeling because I am feeling it too ABOUT BLOODY DAMN TIME, DON'T YOU THINK?!**

**Scorpius is just such a marshmallow and I've thoroughly turned him into a mad-romantic, haha. **

**Tell me what you thought of this chapter, guys! You know how much I need to know!**

**Lots of love because I am just too damn happy right now YESSSS -jumps and fist-pumps air-**


	22. Three Times Is The Charm

**A/n: Alright ladies and gentlemen, we have finally reached the portion of this story that was originally the main intention of this whole thing. Their sixth [and seventh] year[s]. This is the beginning of a long arc and most of this is in Scorpius's POV along with Albus's and Rose's POVs as well. **

**Thank you for all the love you have given me and I am so glad you have enjoyed this story so far! You guys are amazing :')**

**Lots of love!**

**P.s, in case it wasn't obvious already, this chapter is in Scorpius's POV.**

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**Chapter 22**

**Three Times Is The Charm**

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Scorpius sat staring at the letter in his hands and re-read the four short lines, that were scribbled rather hastily on it, for the n-th time. The letter was addressed to him, lacked even the simplest of pleasantries, was as crisp and brief as an official letter would be, and contained nothing but the directions to a particular place, a date and a time, and instructions on what he should wear, what he should bring and what he should be doing. A short post-script confirmed his suspicions of the letter being for his eyes only, as it instructed that he come alone.

He gingerly thumbed the two-word signature, his mind whirring with unanswered questions. He stared at the slanting, pinched handwriting that was similar to the rest of the letter, wondering if they held some sort of underlying message.

'_Your Grandfather.'_

Lucius Malfoy rarely ever wrote to Scorpius, and on the off chance that he did, he always signed it with his full name and the Malfoy house crest. His letters were always brief and to the point and written in extremely formal language that never so much as hinted that it was a letter to his grandson, let alone sign it as such.

Which was the leading cause for Scorpius's dilemma. The letter told him to meet Lucius in a small park that was just at the border of Muggle London, with an exact time, place and date. He had even specified exactly what shade of colour Scorpius was supposed to wear and exactly what shape and size the backpack he was supposed to bring was to be.

But Scorpius couldn't understand why the date was fixed so far ahead or why Lucius had asked to meet him alone, in such a dubious way, or why he had bothered writing to him at all, since he could have just firecalled or told him when Scorpius had gone to visit in the beginning of summer.

The blond sighed, ruffling his hair and wondering whether or not he should do as the letter said, or whether he should tell his parents about it. Draco had always made it a point to make sure that Scorpius remained wary of his grandfather at all times since a very young age. After the innumerous trials and threats and near-death experiences after the War, Lucius had gained an unhealthy habit of drawing his wand at the slightest of sounds and shooting curses and hexes in every which way if he so much as saw a leaf fall to the ground.

Which was the main reason Draco had insisted his parents take a long vacation by traveling the world. The fact that Lucius's infamy would be relatively lesser abroad, was a risk the entire family had been willing to take. And it seemed to have been a well decided course of action, because the last couple of times Draco and Astoria had gone to visit Lucius and Narcissa, Lucius didn't seem quite as inclined to hex their ears off.

There was a short knock on his door and Scorpius hurriedly stuffed the letter in his desk drawer and stood up, just as Astoria entered the room. She smiled serenely at him, not noticing her son's tense posture or the way he was very unsubtly trying to hide the drawer containing the unsettling letter from view.

"May I help you, mother?" Scorpius asked, moving toward her and trying to look like he wasn't hiding a suspicious letter from his grandfather from her.

"Al's in the living room fireplace," Astoria responded evenly, inclining her head at her son.

Scorpius frowned. Albus almost _never_ firecalled without prior warning, especially not so late in the evening, when he knew both Draco and Astoria would be in the living room. He felt a mild sense of dread settle in his stomach as he followed his mother out the room and down the winding corridors.

He kneeled in front of the fireplace just to make sure his parents couldn't see Albus's face. "Al?"

Albus's head popped into view, a strained smile on his face.

"Scorpius, it's good to see you."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows and saw Albus's gaze flicker behind him, where Astoria and Draco were undoubtedly listening.

"What's going on, mate?" he asked in an attempt to convey to Albus that there was no need to be so formal. The message seemed to be received, because Albus's face moderately relaxed and he shook his head.

"I've been speaking to dad, and he and mum are going to Geneva for an Auror's conference soon, so us siblings were supposed to go stay over at Uncle Ron's…" Albus trailed off, his eyes flitting toward Scorpius's parents again.

"And," the blond urged, curious as to why Albus had felt the need to call simply to tell him something that could just as easily have been conveyed through a letter.

"Well… Aunt Hermione's going to be busy with some sudden Ministry work, so we may be staying over at the Burrow… but since Uncle Percy and Uncle George are already there, it'll be crowded… and I was just thinking that since we haven't come over in a while…"

Scorpius's heart thudded against his ribcage, as Albus's intentions became clear. The call was planned in a way so that the older Malfoys would be there to listen in on their conversation, probably in order to make it easier to attain permission.

"We?" Scorpius asked, already knowing the answer.

"Rose and I," Albus said slowly, his eyes finally looking at Scorpius instead of constantly flitting to his parents.

"What about—"

"She hasn't asked yet… I just thought… you know…"

"I think I'll write you tomorrow, Al. it's quite late already."

Albus's eyes widened and he must have realized he had made a mistake, because he said a hasty goodbye and disappeared from the fireplace. Scorpius pulled back and stood, wincing from the pain in his knees at having knelt down in one position for so long. He bid his parents goodnight without looking at their faces and strode out of the room.

As soon as the door to his room shut behind him, he rushed to the desk, ripped a piece of parchment from its holder and hurriedly scribbled a letter addressed to Albus. He whistled for his owl, tied the letter to its leg and sent it off, unwilling to wait until the next day to tell Albus what an absolutely foolish, reckless, Gryffindor thing he had done.

By mid-morning the next day, Albus's letter arrived and Scorpius skimmed through it hurriedly. Albus had simply stated that Scorpius was to call him as soon as the letter was delivered, and he hastened to the living room with that very intention.

He threw a pinch of floo powder into the embers, muttered 'The Potter Residence', and stuck his head into the fireplace as the flames turned green. Albus's shaggy mane of hair came into view and both boys began talking at once.

"I'm sorry, I should've thought it through—"

"Of all the stupid, idiotic things you've done, Albus Potter—"

Albus made a face at his best mate and Scorpius sighed.

"Really, Al. Was there a necessity to be so rash? You could have at least written to me beforehand so we could have planned it out properly."

Albus had the sense to look chastised and said, "Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. I just thought… after, you know…"

Scorpius sighed. After his and Rose's little '_moment_' at King's Cross at the beginning of summer, Draco had refused to so much as look at his son, let alone talk to him, for a full two weeks, before Astoria convinced Draco that he was being pig-headed and absolutely un-adult like. Even then, Draco didn't seem the least bit pleased by their little public display of affection. Scorpius – in his opinion - thought it had more to do with Ron's rage and Rose's heritage, than the actual act itself.

"Why would you call if she hadn't confirmed that she would be coming? That was a completely bull move."

"I know, I know," Albus muttered, sulking. "It's just that Uncle Ron's been giving her hell and Aunt Hermione's almost had it with the whole lot of them. Especially since Hugo hasn't been doing anything but add fuel to the fire."

Scorpius sighed. His dormant fear that Rose's brother wasn't particularly fond of him seemed to have finally come to bite them in the arse.

"So, now what? You already announced that Rose wouldn't be coming, because her dad had a problem with it, to my parents. You might as well just announce to the whole world that her dad hates me, since the damage is already done."

Albus opened his mouth, but Scorpius cut him off. "I'd rather be the one having to face the Potter-Weasley clan in the Burrow than have Rose war with her father simply to spend two weeks here."

Albus regarded Scorpius for a moment before saying, "So you don't miss her at all?"

The blond felt his face heat up and was glad the other boy wasn't physically present in front of him.

"I do, but I don't want to cause anymore trouble for her than I already have. Her dad hates me, Al, in case you haven't noticed already."

Albus groaned, unable to argue with that, and shook his head sadly. "Fine, I guess I'll see you at the station then."

"Hey," Scorpius said, before Albus closed the line.

"Yeah?"

"Is Rose there right now?"

"No? Why would she be?"

"Oh… no, I just thought… never mind. Bye, Al."

Albus gave him a knowing look and then his head retreated from the fireplace. Scorpius sighed and sat back, hanging his head. He was glad his father and he weren't quite on talking terms. He'd hate to explain why Albus -and Rose- weren't coming to Malfoy Manor that summer after Albus pointedly making a show of saying that they would.

* * *

It took Scorpius almost until the end of summer to stop moping around while dealing with his father's constant foul mood, to remember Lucius's letter. He gingerly took it out of its drawer and read it again, his stomach shifting uncomfortably when he realized the date of the meeting was right around the corner. He hadn't bothered replying and Lucius hadn't bothered writing again, which meant that he hadn't expected a reply in the first place. Scorpius briefly wondered if his grandfather even expected him to show.

Nonetheless, Scorpius stood under an old Maple tree on the appointed day, wearing a dull grey sweatshirt and carrying a small beige backpack, as instructed. He pulled the hood over his head, wondering belatedly if he looked half as suspicious as he thought he did. He checked his watch again, tapping his foot impatiently. He had arrived twenty minutes before the given time and was starting to earn wary glances from passers-by. He wanted to just get whatever it was, over with, so he could go back home and pack for school.

He barely heard Lucius appear, and jumped back with a very unmanly yelp as the older Malfoy materialized beside him. Lucius regarded Scorpius with stoic disinterest and inclined his head toward the line of trees that surrounded one end of the park. Scorpius followed obediently, glad that his grandfather did not believe in exchanging pleasantries or small talk. Meaning, he may still be able to make it home before tea.

They reached a small clump of wild bushes and Lucius stopped abruptly, his long black cloak catching on a branch. He finally turned to give his grandson a once over and after seeming satisfied, thrust his hand out. Scorpius stared at the downturned palm and then at Lucius – who raised an eyebrow at him. The blond suddenly noticed that the other man was holding out a small package and accepted it, suddenly feeling a sense of trepidation settle over him.

"What's this?" he asked, unable to quell his curiosity.

Lucius simply looked at him and Scorpius thought he would walk away without answering, but then he spoke in his usual, slow drawl, "Keep it with you at all times. I shall retrieve it from you when the time is right."

And before Scorpius could so much as open his mouth to ask him anything else, Lucius had spun on the spot and Disapparated, leaving Scorpius behind with a swirl of leaves. The blond flipped the package over and noted that it was actually a carefully folded envelope – the kind Muggles used to send something that wasn't a letter through Muggle mail – and was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Suppressing his curiosity, he placed it in the backpack and half ran-half jogged back to the London tube, cursing not for the first time his inability to Apparate or use magic outside of school on account of being underage.

When he was finally seated on his bed, the door securely locked to make sure that his parents wouldn't suddenly pop in on him, he undid the seal on the package and turned it upside down so that its contents fell out onto his palm. He stared at the small, square piece of whatever it was, surprised by its weight, despite its size. He turned it over in his hands, the metallic coolness of it warming from the heat of his skin.

It was a thin, dark slab of some sort of alloy. Minute lines were carved into the flat surface, cutting across the black object at right angles. The centre of it had a small indentation and as he ran his thumb across it, he realized that it must have held a gemstone at some point. As he observed the object again, he found that one side of it had two barely noticeable protrusions; two very slight bumps along the otherwise smooth surface.

He frowned at the small square, wondering what in Merlin's name it was. It looked quite old and vaguely familiar, for some off reason, although he could swear he had never seen it before. He thought it might have been some sort of important ornament or heirloom or the like which must be precious, considering his grandfather had instructed he keep it with him at all times.

He sighed, giving up on trying to figure out what it was. If Lucius had wanted Scorpius to know, he would have told him. And since he hadn't… it was obvious Scorpius was being treated as nothing more than a keeper of sorts. He suddenly wondered if he had made a mistake in agreeing to meet with his grandfather and do whatever it was Lucius intended him to do.

He got up, placed the metal square in the drawer where he kept Lucius's letter, and locked it shut, pocketing the key. He decided that he would take it out only before leaving the next day, and pulled out his trunk, intent on finishing whatever last minute packing he had left.

* * *

Scorpius winced as he massaged his throbbing temple. He had slept relatively well despite everything that had happened the previous day, and had triple checked everything in his trunk to make sure there was nothing he had forgotten. So he didn't know why he was feeling like he was forgetting something. Before he got lost in his thoughts, a familiar voice called out to him over the din of people in King's Cross and felt his face split into a grin even before the speaker came into sight.

He turned to see Rose stumble past a group of students and he enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug, his previous worries completely forgotten as a delighted laugh escaped his lips. He pulled back slightly and grinned down at her.

"Hi," he said, his arms still around her waist, unwilling to let go just yet. She beamed up at him, her warm brown eyes glittering with mirth.

"Hi," she chirped, almost bouncing on the spot. He laughed again, realising suddenly how much he had missed her.

"I missed you," she said, echoing his thoughts.

"I did too," he replied, pulling her into a brief hug. She stepped back and smiled at him.

"How was your summer?"

He shrugged. "OK, I suppose. Yours?"

She mirrored his action and said, "Same."

They stood there for a moment, suddenly awkward, and he belatedly realized that they still had their arms around each other. She seemed to have come to the same conclusion at the same time, because her cheeks flushed and she bit her lip.

"Um…"

He let her go, missing the way his arms fit perfectly around the curve of her waist. But before he could dwell anymore on how much he wanted to just whisk her away and kiss her into oblivion, Albus came bounding toward them and threw himself at Scorpius. The blond coughed lightly as Albus thumped him on the back and wiping a fake tear from his eyes, said, "Oh, Scorpius my dear friend! How I've missed you!"

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at his best mate, his lips tugging into his trademark smirk. "Yeah?"

"Oh, yes! I was so woe begotten that I spent many a day staring out the window with a dreamy smile on my face and drawing our names in the dust collected along the window sill!"

Scorpius felt his face heat up and his eyes flickered to Rose – who was pointedly looking everywhere but at him, her face a furious shade of red. He forced himself to laugh, as he turned back to Albus and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Mine sorrow is much the same, oh friend. I too spent many an evening sitting by the pond in mine garden and staring at the ever growing ripples, as they shattered the surface—"

"Alright, alright, I got your point, that's enough," Albus cut in, ruffling Scorpius's hair. The blond laughed as Albus draped an arm around his shoulders and said, "How about we get ourselves seats before there aren't any left?" he looked toward his redheaded cousin, who opened her mouth as though to dispute what Albus had said, but he tugged on the single braid that hung down her shoulder and grinned.

"It might be harder if you both want a compartment to yourselves though…" Albus trailed off and Rose swatted his arm, her cheeks tingeing pink.

But before either of them could say anything else, a sea of redheads was making their way towards them, shouting and screaming, and Scorpius snuck out of Albus's grasp and onto the train. The last thing he needed, was to get caught in one of the Potter-Weasley clan's raucous goodbye sessions. Since he had already said his farewells to his parents, he went hunting for a compartment for the others. He found one just as they got onto the train, calling to them so they noticed him.

James grinned and clapped him on the arm as he entered the compartment. Scorpius wasn't exactly on good terms with James, but they had their moments. He was followed by Fred, who wiggled his eyebrows at him and mouthed something that had to do with what Albus had said before (windows and drawing hearts, that is). Hugo followed his cousin without even sparing Scorpius a glance (ouch), behind whom came a squealing Lily who launched herself at him, babbled something incomprehensible and bounded away. Albus came last, winked at Scorpius, made howling sounds and shut the door behind him.

Scorpius finally turned to Rose and she rolled her eyes and shook her head. They fell into step as they made their way toward the end of the carriage for the Prefects meeting, where they would greet the new Head boy and girl, the fifth year Prefects and be assigned their duties for the year and given their patrol schedules.

"I hope Slytherin and Gryffindor Sixth years have patrols together," Rose mused, reading his mind once again. He hummed, lacing his fingers through hers and smiled as she squeezed his hand. As they came to a stop outside the compartment, Rose turned to him and he looked at her just as she got on her tiptoes and pressed her lips briefly against his.

"Did you miss me?" she asked softly and he brushed her cheek lightly.

"You have no idea," he replied just as softly as he bent down and bit her ear. She squealed, her cheeks turning red and her eyes going wide. He smirked coyly at her, pushing the door open and stepping in, leaving a furiously blushing Rose to stumble in after him.

* * *

**A/n: In case you're wondering, the title refers to the two previous times Scorpius got badly injured. Now, I wonder why I named it so...**

**Also, a huge shot-out to a Harry Potter forum I am a part of called Diagon Alley II. Check it out if you guys are interested, it's on my profile, the writers and stories there are amazing and you can get your own stories R&amp;Rd by said amazing writers. #shamelessAdvertizing**

**Anyway, what're your thoughts on this chapter?**

**Let me know!**

**Lots of love~**


	23. The Truth Behind The Square

**Chapter 23**

**The Truth Behind The Square**

* * *

"Scorpius! Are you listening?!"

Scorpius raised his head and squinted up at Cynthia. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"No." He sighed, ruffling the hair at the back of his neck and laying his head in the crook of his arm. Cynthia made an exasperated gesture and threw a binder of parchment at Scorpius before stomping away. He groaned and massaged his temple, unable to rid himself of the incessant headache that had been plaguing him since the beginning of term.

He didn't know how long he sat there with his forehead against the cool wood, but soon he could hear the shuffle of feet and robes as students left the Common Room for lunch and someone poked him in the shoulder. Very begrudgingly, he tilted his head and glanced up through lidded eyes at whoever had rudely disturbed him.

"What's wrong with you? All you've been doing is moping around and telling people off. Where's the Scorpius Malfoy I know who trips people up in the hallways and hexes portraits off the wall?"

"Such a Scorpius Malfoy doesn't exist," Scorpius groused and groaned as he got up and moved away from the table just so Lily would stop poking him. The youngest Potter shot him her victory smile and skipped along beside him.

"So, what did you do now to get Cynthi so mad?"

"I dunno."

"Don't lie to me, Malfoy. We all know you've been completely ignoring the poor girl and now she hates you."

"First of all, Lily, if you know the reason, why bother asking? Second of all, stop referring to her as 'Cynthi', she's three years your senior and she everybody hates the name."

Lily frowned up at Scorpius and he grimaced, suddenly realizing that the last thing he needed was to piss Lily Potter off and face the wrath of her two overprotective brothers.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling too good."

"Yes, that's been your excuse ever since you got back," Lily snapped, huffing and throwing her long auburn hair over her shoulder. He eyed her for a moment, distracted by how feminine she had gotten over the summer.

"Are you wearing makeup?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "And what if I am?"

"It suits you."

She cleared her throat, clearly trying to hold back the smile at the compliment. She wagged her finger at him, and with a 'You're off the hook this time,' ran off with her other flouncy friends.

He sighed. Again. He'd also been sighing excessively since the start of school. Another side effect that came with the confounded headache. He made sure to stay as close to the walls and avoid as much human contact as possible as he walked toward the Great Hall. He didn't want to have to snap at yet another person and cut points because they grazed against his shoulder or their robes accidentally brushed against each other.

Finally reaching the Great Hall, he sat as far away from the Slytherins as possible without actually having to sit on the floor. He bowed his head and ate in silence, making it clear that he was in no mood to encourage conversation. Few people greeted him or asked him to pass some dish, but otherwise, gave him a wide berth. One good thing about the Slytherins was that they would rather stay clear of people's business and get through with some crafty means, than try to jump over the fence and get stabbed in the stomach like the Hufflepuffs or Gryffindors would.

And that logic applied to most of the Slytherin population. Most, because certain Slytherins were too Gryffindor for their own bloody good.

"Lily told me. So what's got your knickers in a bunch? Oh, and pass the tartar sauce, would you?"

"Not now, Al," Scorpius said warningly, as he placed the sauce bottle in front of Albus – who had just breached the boundary of no return, to sit down beside him – and scooted away so they didn't bump elbows or brush forearms by accident.

"Why nof," Albus said around a piece of steak. Scorpius scrunched his nose in distaste. It was highly obvious that Albus didn't come from normal Slytherin families that still brought up their own with the dignity and elegance of their ancestry, even till date. It was something they held great pride for, and it had taken more than several years for the rest of the Slytherins to learn to pretend Albus wasn't stuffing his face and spraying food all over the place and act as though he wasn't even there. Much rather that than endure the horror of his 'ignoble upbringing'. And although Albus was his best mate, it was still something that highly unnerved Scorpius. And doing as the others did was a luxury he could never afford.

"Because," Scorpius snapped, picking up a napkin from the dainty silver holder – an installation that was made all along the long table, much to the gratitude of its occupants – and swiping it across Albus's face. "I might just stab you in the eye with your fork if you keep up with your spraying."

"Soffie," Albus mumbled and Scorpius flinched and closed his eyes as he felt something wet land on his cheek.

'_Patience… it's not worth it, Scorpius… endure it…'_

"Right. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do."

"Bullocks," Albus said, finally having finished what had been on his plate – which he was now piling with more food. Scorpius raised an eyebrow at him and then waved the folder in his hand, glad that in his absent-mindedness, he had carried it with him. He knew it was Cynthia's Prefect's report and he vowed to make his twice as good to make up for ignoring her.

"Whazzat?"

"Prefect's report. It's due soon."

"Oh," Albus said, a knowing look dawning on his face. "So that's what she was blubbering about when I found her crying in the library."

Scorpius was so horrified by the thought that he'd made a girl cry that he turned tail and ran, completely missing Albus's cheeky grin and the triumphant smirk he shared with Lily.

By the time he reached the library, he was out of breath and had to lean against the wall for a good two minutes to coax the bile back down his throat. Once he was sure he wasn't going to vomit all over the library floor, he made his way toward the back – more from out of habit than anything else – and began looking for Cynthia, his heart pounding in his throat.

After a thorough search, a stack of fallen books, and a harassed looking second year bursting into tears, Scorpius sighed and rubbed his forehead, irritation burning with the constant throb against his skull. Albus had pulled a fast one on him and he had completely fallen for it. The git wasn't going to let this one go for sure. He was about to storm out of the library and break something, but a familiar voice stilled him.

"Scorpius?"

The blond looked over his shoulder and felt his anger ebb away at the sight of red and gold. He strode towards the table Rose was sitting at and before she could react, placed both hands on either side of her face and crushed his mouth against hers. She only protested for two seconds before reciprocating. He sighed against her lips and closed his eyes, concentrating on the feel of her mouth against his and trying to forget his crushing headache. He pulled away and rested his forehead against her shoulder, breathing in the scent of apples and cinnamon in her freshly washed hair and the softness of it against his skin.

He felt a calm settle over him and belatedly realized that his breaths were coming out in gasps and his body was growing hotter and hotter. Rose shifted beside him and she probably said something, but his head was suddenly reeling and random images of the past few days were flitting through his mind. When he felt his knees give way and his arms fell limply by his sides, he gave up on trying to hold onto what little consciousness was left. He breathed out and let his body fall, the last image he saw against his closed eyelids was a dark square of metal. The image disappeared as soon as it appeared and as he felt the final tendril of sanity leave him, he heard Rose scream his name.

"_Scorpius!"_

And then everything was black.

* * *

When he awoke, it was to the sickening feeling of sweat clinging to him like a second skin. He tried to open his eyes and immediately regretted it as his head throbbed in response. He tried to move and his stomach lurched. So he simply lay as still as he could without having to stop breathing and focused on the steadily increasing volume of the voices few feet away from him.

"Did he say anything to you? Did he mention feeling sick at all?"

"No! No, I saw him in the library so I called out to him and he—well, he just lay his head on my shoulder and before I could even react, he just crumpled to the floor!"

"Are you _absolutely sure _you weren't doing anything strenuous?"

"We were in the library!"

"So? That's not stopped you before."

There was stunned silence, followed by spluttering and snickering and Scorpius sighed. Of course the Potter siblings would use this to tease Rose about him and her doing the forbidden. Not that he minded; Rose was adorable when she was flustered. He tuned the cousins out and concentrated on the matter at hand.

He had fainted. Again. Rose probably thought he was the unmanliest boyfriend anyone could ever have, considering he had fainted more times than her. But back to the problem; he tried to remember what was going through his head before he had blacked out. He had had the constant feeling that he was forgetting something ever since he had left home, but he could never place his finger to it. Just before he blacked out, he clearly remembered having realized what he had forgotten. His headache had dissipated as soon as he had reached the realization, all though he had been too feverish to understand it at the time. A flash of black metal flashed through his mind again and he groaned.

Before he could over think it, he sat up abruptly, swung his legs over the bed and strode out – he realized belatedly that once again, he had been taken there – of the Hospital Wing. He heard the others yell out to him and made to follow him, but he stubbornly made his way towards the dungeons, intent on reaching his dorm room before he was stopped. He had had the element of surprise, after all, considering he had just upped and run out when he was supposed to be unconscious.

It wasn't until the stairs leading down to the Slytherin Common Room that Albus caught up to him. Scorpius eyed him mildly, taking in the wild look in his eyes.

"Mate, what's going on? You can't just leave like that! Madam Palms is going to pop an artery!"

"Meet me at the stone bench behind the Greenhouses," Scorpius said simply, clapping the other on the shoulder and hurrying down the stairs, leaving a dumbfounded Albus to stare mutely after him.

He almost had a panic attack when he couldn't find it at first. He threw half of his belongings out of his trunk, looking for it. It was so small, he could've seen right past it. After a long time of frantic rummaging, he finally managed to unearth the small square of metal from underneath the sweater his mother had given him last Christmas. The second his fingers touched the cool, engraved surface, his suspicions were confirmed. He no longer felt the nagging doubt that he had forgotten something important and his head no longer beat a cacophony inside his skull. He breathed through gritted teeth, trying to calm his raging heart and shake off the feeling of doom that had settled on him.

When neither was successful, he stood up slowly and shakily made his way to the rendezvous point. His mind was buzzing from the unanswered questions that had triplicated since he had found the metal square and he was itching to discuss them with the people he trusted the most. By the time he rounded the corner of the Greenhouse, his hands were shaking and his teeth were chattering and he felt like he would explode if he didn't tell someone his discovery.

As soon as they saw him, Albus stood and Rose scooted over so Scorpius could sit beside her on the small, uneven, stone bench. Albus positioned himself on the grass at the blond's feet and hugged his knees, his emerald eyes shining with repressed curiosity. Before Scorpius could launch into his tale, Rose placed her small hand on his knee and looked at him with concern.

"Scorpius, love, are you sure you're alright?"

He licked his lips, his free knee bouncing impatiently. "Never better. Now, will you hear me out?"

She nodded, but left her hand where it was and Scorpius could feel the heat of her palm through his pants. He turned to Albus just to distract himself and placed the napkin he'd wrapped the metal square in on his free knee. He gingerly unwrapped it and when Albus craned his neck to peer at it, flicked his forehead and said, "Don't touch."

"What _is_ that?" Rose asked after a moment of careful examination. Since Scorpius wouldn't let her touch it, she waited patiently as he turned the object around in his hands so they could look at it from all sides.

"I dunno," Scorpius replied solemnly, as he tapped the metal square against his palm.

"It looks like some sort of tile, don't you think?" Albus started, his nose literally pressed against Scorpius's knee.

"Al, you're too close," the blond said, shoving the other boy with his foot. Albus grunted in annoyance, but moved back anyway.

"Don't be silly," Rose said to Albus, her eyes still glued to the object in Scorpius's hands. "It's much too small to be a tile. Besides, it looks like it's made of metal. Is it?" she asked, finally looking up at Scorpius. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak as yet without revealing what the object was.

"Well, it's definitely cursed," Rose mused and both boys snapped their heads at her – Albus, because he wouldn't have thought of that even in his smartest of moments and Scorpius, because he had only come to that realization a few minutes before and wanted to have been the one to reveal it.

"How in Merlin did you know that?!" Scorpius demanded, staring at her wide-eyed.

"Wait, so it _is _ cursed?!"

Rose tutted at Albus and focused her intense gaze on Scorpius. "Well, for starters, you won't let us touch it. Plus, those runes engraved on it are definitely symbols for Dark Magic," she said, motioning to the thin lines carved into the square. "And the fact that it's heavier than it looks and is supposed to be."

"How'd you know it was heavy?" Scorpius demanded again, still not ready to believe that Rose was able to figure out what it was when it had taken him weeks and a lot of physical pain.

She looked at him evenly as though chastising him for asking something so foolish. "Because of the way you're holding it. You can generally tell the weight of something just by looking at the person carrying it. If it were any lighter, you would be handling it with much more ease than you are."

Scorpius saw Albus nod from the corner of his eyes and say, "Yeah, I thought it was weird that a tile would be so heavy. But if it's not a tile, what is it then?"

Scorpius felt an unnecessary sense of superiority that he used to feel when he was younger and challenged Rose to a test of knowledge, as he looked at her. "Yeah, what do you think it is?"

Rose raised her eyebrows at them as though she thought they were poking fun at her. When both boys continued to stare at her, she rolled her eyes and pointed at one of the edges – the one with the two bumps.

"Isn't it obvious? It used to be a pendant. This part here is where the loop through which the chain went, used to be. I suppose it broke off from some spell, or because someone dropped it from a height or stepped on it or something."

Scorpius stared. He had forgotten that she always won every challenge that he put to her. It was a stern reminder of how much Rose paid attention to details and her innate ability to think outside the box. Scorpius shook his head, his awe for the girl overruling his feelings of bitterness and stupidity for not being able to figure out something simple.

"Where in Merlin's name did you get your hands on a cursed object, mate?" Albus asked, clearly excited, his reaction the complete opposite of what it was supposed to be.

"Yes, I'd like to know that as well."

Rose crossed her arms and frowned, her lower lip puckering with disapproval. Scorpius shook his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"My grandfather wrote to me earlier this summer and asked to meet me secretly just before school started. I wasn't sure whether to go or not—"

"Well, why did you go then?! Do your parents know?!"

"—but I went anyway. And no, I didn't tell them because… I don't know, grandfather asked me to come alone—"

"Scorpius you _idiot!"_

"Rosie, shut up and let the man speak," Albus scolded, pinching Rose's leg. She yelled and swatted his arm but kept quiet.

Scorpius nodded at Albus and continued. "So I met him and he handed me an envelope and told me to keep it with at all times. I didn't know what it was until I reached home and opened it. But I guess by then it was already too late," he said and shrugged, eyeing the metal object with distaste. "I had already touched it so its effect was already on me."

"Is that why you've been so under the weather since we got back?"

Scorpius nodded at Albus, massaging his temple more out of habit than actual need. "I put it in my trunk and conveniently forgot about it. Unlike Rose, I never suspected it was cursed and since I didn't know what it was either, I forgot it even existed. That's why I've been having massive migraines. Because I kept getting the feeling that I was forgetting something important, but didn't know what."

"I can _not _ believe you didn't tell your parents!"

the two boys stared at Rose.

"_That's _your problem with the whole situation?!" Albus snapped at his cousin and she fumed, crossing both her arms and legs and frowning at the metal square.

"No matter how you look at it, it's cursed! Scorpius, you took Runes last year, how could you have not realized?!"

"I may have taken the class, but that doesn't mean I can read some ancient runes of Dark Magic, Rose," Scorpius said gently, trying to placate the girl before she blew a fuse. Rose huffed but didn't retort.

Instead, she said:

"Didn't you at least have half the mind to cast anti-Dark Magic charms on it? That way you would've easily gotten to know what it was!"

"Why on earth would he suspect that something his own grandfather gave him would be a cursed object?" Albus demanded, trying to defend Scorpius's family.

Rose's liquid brown eyes flashed dangerously as she looked down her nose at her cousin. "Maybe because he's a former Death Eater!"

"I cannot believe how reckless you are," she said to Scorpius, pushing her wild hair out of her eyes. He sighed and shook his head. He knew she'd get upset, but he also knew she was right. He should have taken the package straight to his parents instead of hiding it from them.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have trusted him."

It might have been the surrendering tone of his voice, or what he had said, but her eyes immediately softened and she reached out to touch his arm.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you should have been more careful."

He smiled at her, grateful that he could finally look at her without feeling like his head was about to crack open. "I know, love."

"Alright. If you two are going to start snogging now, I think that's my cue to leave."

Rose made a sound in her throat acknowledging what her cousin said, even as she drew closer to Scorpius, her grasp on his arm tightening and her chocolate brown eyes turning darker. Scorpius heard Albus groan and saw him make an exasperated gesture out of the corner of his eyes.

"Well, I suppose cursed objects are no longer important…" he trailed off, but when neither Rose nor Scorpius made any sign of hearing him, he rolled his eyes and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you later, then. When you actually want to discuss the problem and not stare into each other's eyes with that disgustingly loving expression."

Rose's cheeks tinged pink but they were barely a breath away that it didn't matter.

"He's right, though, you know," Scorpius murmured grudgingly against her lips. Her eyelids fluttered and she hummed, tilting her head and letting her eyes slip shut.

"It's not my fault that stupid pendant's had you to itself for so long. It's my turn to get my way with you."

He reached forward and pulled her knee so it draped over his, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"I'm always yours," he whispered, his words dissolving into the kiss.

* * *

**A/n: Yes, so this is one of my best chapters, if I say so myself. About the curse on the object and whatnot, don't get your knickers in a bunch, you'll get an explanation as soon as Rose and Scorpius are done snogging each other's faces off. **

**As for the weird title, it was originally "The Cursed Object" but I thought it was too much of a spoiler so I just changed it to that...**

**Review and tell me what you think!**

**Love~**


	24. Mortal Peril

**A/n: Don't get freaked out by the title.**

**Yet.**

* * *

**Chapter 24**

**Mortal Peril**

* * *

"Oh, this is so vexing!"

Scorpius looked up as Rose dropped onto the chair in between him and Albus, slamming the heavy book she was holding on the table.

"What's wrong?" he asked, smoothing back the stray strands that had fallen out of her bun. She threw her hands in the air and shook her head, a baleful expression on her face.

"No matter where I look, I can't seem to find a curse that presents in the form of your symptoms!"

"So?" Albus asked from her other side and she shot him a look.

"_So,_ if we can't find the curse, there's no way we can break it!"

Albus shrugged tiredly and disinterestedly flipped a page of the book he was supposed to be looking for useful information in. "Can't we just cast some spell on him or something?"

From the look Rose gave him, he figured that wasn't the right thing to say.

"No, you can't just _cast a spell on him or something_!"

Scorpius reached forward and massaged the base of Rose's neck and she immediately relaxed. It was a technique he'd discovered two years ago when they were studying for a particularly difficult Defence Against the Dark Arts test, when Rose was having a nervous breakdown.

The blond looked at Albus and gave him an indulgent smile. "You can't undo a curse without a specific counter-curse, Al. Every spell has a known or unknown counter-spell. So, without the counter-spell, well, you can't counter the spell."

"A counter-spell is a spell that has the exact opposite effect of the spell it's countering and is not to be confused with anti-spells, which are spells that serve to prevent the effect of a spell rather than counter it, and although they might seem similar, are not," Rose recited for Albus's benefit. Her cousin rolled his eyes and propped his elbow on the table, leaning his head against his hand.

"I know what a counter-spell is, Rosie. I meant, can't we use a spell to determine what the curse is? Isn't that what uncle Bill does before breaking curses?"

The two stared at him so long, he shifted uncomfortably. "What?"

"That… is actually a half-decent idea," Rose said, smiling at Albus. She turned to the book in front of her and flipped through it, muttering under her breath. Scorpius mirrored Albus's posture and leaned in to look at the page she stopped at.

"Here," Rose said, pointing at a single line halfway down the worn-out page. Scorpius skimmed through it and nodded.

"I suppose it makes sense."

"Yes, once you're done doing that thing you both do, please feel free to include me in on it," Albus said, an irritated expression on his face.

"What _thing_?" Scorpius and Rose chorused and Albus raised his eyebrows. He motioned between them.

"_That_ thing. You read each other's minds and complete each other's sentences. Even Teddy and Vic can't do that, and we all know how in love _they_ are."

Rose turned beet red and even Scorpius felt his face heating up. He cleared his throat and pointed at where Rose's finger had been.

"According to this book, under certain circumstances, the symptoms of a curse may present as varied from the original ones. And the only explanations for that could be because the curse was either placed incorrectly, or because it's so old, its effects are extremely minimal."

"So, what does that mean for us?"

Scorpius shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. Rose was the one to answer the question in his stead.

"I suppose the curse on the pendant was very violent and was meant to blast anyone, but the owner, away with the aim to severely maim or kill. That's probably how the necklace got blown away. Maybe someone tried to take it from the owner but was blasted away and took the chain along with them."

"So how does a curse powerful enough to kill someone end up causing migraines and fainting spells?"

Rose frowned and stared at the book. "I'm not sure about that yet. I have a theory, but I have nothing to prove or disprove it, so it's solely hypothetical…"

Scorpius watched the way her lashes turned golden in the waning light of the sun and how she bit her lip absent-mindedly, deep in concentration.

"Maybe," he started, and realising his voice sounded too low, cleared his throat and tearing his eyes away from Rose, focused them on Albus. "Maybe the curse was never meant to be violent. Maybe that was a side effect of another spell placed on it in an attempt to counter the curse."

Albus raised his eyebrows and Scorpius shrugged. "Maybe the spell backfired and activated the curse simultaneously, causing such a violent reaction. For all we know, the curse placed on the pendant may have been very specific."

"Specific how?"

Rose raised her head, her eyes twinkling. "In the rare circumstance that a blood-spell has been placed on the cursed object, as has been on this one, if my knowledge on runes is correct, if it is given to someone with intention, then the full effect of the curse placed on it will be felt only by the intended target. If someone – say a mediator or messenger or someone who got their hands on the object by accident - were to touch it, then they may not feel the full effects of the curse, but rather, a variation of it. Also, a blood-spell would protect any person who is related to the owner of the cursed object by blood, from the curse."

When Albus looked just as clueless as he was before the explanation, Rose shook her head and opened her mouth, but Scorpius continued for her.

"Say the curse was meant to kill the intended target. If anyone other than the target became a recipient of the curse, they may get tortured or maimed, but not killed. So if a curse like that were to wear out…" he trailed off and Albus sat up straighter, his emerald eyes wide.

"Wait, but then what happens to the person who had the cursed object before or after it was given to the intended target?"

Rose's eyes sparkled and she leaned in closer to Albus as she said, "Say, for instance, I cursed the pendant and sent it to you. Scorpius intercepted it and felt a variation of the curse. Then you were killed because of the curse and then I performed the counter-curse and retrieved the pendant. Then it would have no effect on me. If a blood relative of mine happened to intercept the object or retrieve it without performing the counter-curse, they would still be unaffected due to the affects of the blood-runes. But, and this is my hypothesis, what if the curse hadn't been redone in centuries and has somehow lost its magic for whatever reasons? Then maybe the curse could somehow mildly affect even a blood relative of the owner."

"But, according to this book, there has been rumour regarding cursed objects, which claimed that the only reason the counter-curses for extremely powerful curses that could kill people didn't work, was because the counter-curse protected the wielder as long as they kept the object with them at all times," Scorpius added.

Albus was nodding his head vigorously and Scorpius could literally see the gears in his head clicking into place as he spoke.

"Oh! So then when your grandfather gave the pendant to you, he probably didn't expect you to open it! And in case you did, he probably wasn't too worried because you wouldn't feel the effects of it if you had it on your person the entire time!"

Both Rose and Scorpius grinned at Albus and said together, "Exactly!"

Albus shook his head, laughing lightly. "You two are amazing, you know that?"

Rose blushed and looked up at Scorpius. He smiled down at her and pinched her nose affectionately. Albus rolled his eyes and patted the book in front of Rose.

"So, we're looking for a curse that's so old, it would have lost most of its effectiveness by now, right?"

Rose nodded and as an afterthought, said, "Maybe we could just ask your grandfather?"

She looked up at Scorpius and he stared back, turning the idea back and forth in his head.

"I dunno…"

"Oh, come on, Scorpius. He obviously gave it to you for safe keeping knowing full well you may be affected by the curse. So obviously he would help if you asked."

"Yeah," Scorpius said distractedly, as he turned back to the book he had been reading. "Maybe we'll look some more and then if we don't find anything, I'll ask him..."

He could feel Rose and Albus's eyes on him, but they simply turned back to their books and Scorpius mentally thanked them for giving him the benefit of the doubt.

* * *

"I still think you should ask him."

Scorpius sat back and placed the book he was reading on the ground beside him. He was sitting at the little paddock hidden by the large Maple tree half way around the Great Lake. It was their favorite spot when they wanted some peace and quiet.

He reached up and pulled Rose down onto his lap and she smiled, tilting her head so her damp hair fell down one shoulder.

"Hello, beautiful," he said softly, mostly to distract her from mentioning Lucius again, but also because with the sun at her back, it made the edge around her auburn head look like a halo. She smiled and bent forwards to place a kiss on his cheek.

"I suppose I'll let you change the subject this once," she said, tugging playfully at his tie. He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers.

"Thank you."

"Mm."

She sighed deeply and caressed his face in her hands, the softness and warmth of it enveloping him. His eyes trailed to her lips and he watched as she began to nibble on her lower lip, like she always did when she was nervous or embarrassed or focusing on something.

"Scorpius," she said slowly and he watched her lips move as they formed his name. It was something that he found great comfort in, and it made him feel truly accepted. He hummed in response, slowly running his hands up and down her sides. She leaned forward and her hair fell on either side of their faces like a curtain, separating them from the rest of the world. He shifted so his cheek brushed hers and he bit her ear, another thing he found he loved doing, especially since it made her react in exactly the way he wanted her to.

She squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck. He grinned as he nuzzled her jaw, planting kisses down her jawline and to her chin. When he pulled back, her face was flushed and her plump lower lip was red and moist because she had been biting on it so hard. He nibbled on it and ran his tongue along it and she sighed, her hands weaving patterns through his hair.

"I love your hair," she breathed, tilting her head to the side to give him access to her neck. "It's so soft and silky and smooth. I can just run my hands through it forever and be content with just that."

"Yeah?" he mumured, nipping at her collarbone. She made a muffled sound and then moved one hand down the back of his neck and under the collar of his shirt.

"Rose," he said patiently, knowing anyone could see them from across the lake. She simply sighed and pressed against him, massaging his scalp with slow, deliberate movements. He knew that she knew he loved how it felt when she did that and he couldn't resist even if he tried.

"Rose," he tried again, but even to himself, his voice lacked conviction.

Rose sighed and pulling back slightly, looked him in the eye and whispered, "Say my name again."

And Scorpius heard something snap at the back of his mind, belatedly realising it was his sanity.

He growled and lunged at her with the sole intention of devouring her whole. He crushed his mouth against hers and pulled her as close as humanly possible. She gasped into his mouth and parted her lips, giving his tongue entrance. He raked his nails up her legs, reveling at the feel of her supple skin against his callused palms. He pushed his hands up her legs and up her sides, pushing her skirt up and pulling her sweater off her head.

They broke apart only so she could maneuver his sweater off him, as he did with hers. The second there was nothing in between, their lips were joined together, moving and melding together as they tugged insistently at each other's clothes, desperate to rid themselves of what little fabric separated them.

"Rose," Scorpius groaned against her mouth as she slid her hands up his shirt and he knew things were spiraling out of control too fast. He loved her and he had desires like any other boy his age, but they were in plain sight of any student or Professor that turned to look; not to mention the fact that they were Prefects with their names at the top of the list for Head Boy and Girl. They were doing something dangerous in broad daylight that could cost them not only their badges, but also the name they had earned for themselves over the years.

And he swore to Merlin that the only reason the rational part of his brain was even working right then was because of the whole fiasco with the cursed pendant.

Rose chose that exact moment to grind her hips against his and he could literally see logic and reason flying out the window.

"God damnit, Rose, you're making this even harder than it is."

"What in the world are you talking about, Scorpius?"

Scorpius felt his blood run cold, at the sound of the voice. It should have been Rose's soft, honey-like voice that had spoken, not the horrid, cold, emotionless voice that did. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his heartbeat, as he opened his eyes and prepared for his fate.

Lucius Malfoy was standing above him, in all his black-robed, sneering glory, his cane-wand drawn out and pointed at – if his blood wasn't already frozen and if his heart didn't feel like it had fallen out of his mouth, he probably would have stabbed himself just so he could know that he was alive – Rose, her clothes tattered and her skin pale as death; her eyes empty and hollow, her hair limp and clinging to her face, her limbs hanging like a ragdoll's; she looked like he felt, an empty shell with no vessels carrying blood to a beating heart, because she was completely frozen.

Because she was dead.

And then all he could hear over the sound of Lucius laughing was his own bloodcurdling scream; loud and piercing and painful. He tried to reach out for her, but she was getting farther and farther away and Lucius was still laughing and Scorpius was still screaming.

* * *

"Scorpius!"

He woke up with a start, covered in sweat and breathing hard. He looked around wildly, disoriented and scared. Albus's face came into focus, his emerald eyes wide with worry as he patted Scorpius's cheek and handed him a glass of water.

"Drink this," he instructed in a soothing voice and the blond obeyed, realising he was trembling violently from head to toe.

"What happened?" he croaked and Albus shook his head, a frightened expression on his face.

"I don't know, mate. You started screaming all of a sudden and clawing at your chest and it took all three of use to keep you from hurting yourself."

Scorpius looked past Albus and saw their two other dorm mates, Mitchell Harington and Reese Cleevey sitting on Albus's bed with shocked and scared expressions on their faces.

"You scared the hell out of us, mate. What happened?"

Scorpius shook his head and reached for his chest, wincing when he felt the raw scratches under his nightshirt.

He also felt something else. A cool square pressed against the skin right over his heart. His heart beating wildly, he reached into his shirt and pulled out the old, broken, cursed pendant that they had just been discussing few hours ago.

"What the bloody hell," Albus said, mirroring Scorpius's shock.

The old pendant seemed to have sprung back to life, necklace and all. When he eyed the ancient runes engraved on the surface, he swore in the faint light of the moon that he could make out the words '_mortal peril_.'

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**A/n: Hullo! Sorry for the late update, real life hates me. Also, I hope the explanation about the curse and the cursed object and the blood spell and the blood runes weren't too complicated. **

**A penny for your thoughts and a ginormous cookie for your reviews!**

**Lots of love~**


	25. The Fine Line Between Reality & Insanity

**Chapter 25**

**The Fine Line Between Reality and Insanity**

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"You _have _to ask him, Scorpius!"

Rose paced up and down the cramped room at the top of the Astronomy Tower, almost knocking over a telescope in her frenzy. Albus came and sat beside Scorpius, eyeing the blond with concern.

"I agree with her. This is mental, mate. You could have been grievously injured!"

"That's the least of our problems!"

Albus gaped at Rose. "Scorpius getting nightmares and hurting himself is the least of our problems? When is it going to get worse, then? When he starts hallucinating and flings himself off the Clock Tower?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Albus," Rose snapped as she came to stand in front of the two boys. She pointed at the necklace around Scorpius's neck and said, "_That_ is the most pressing matter. Why in Godric's name did that confounded pendant repair itself! Now it's like it's brand new!"

"How is that more important! Maybe Scorpius repaired it in his sleep or something!"

"_It is more important because now the curse has been restored to full power,_" Rose screeched, her face red and her nostrils flaring.

Albus shrank away from her, nodding meekly. She threw her hands in the air and resumed her pacing, screaming at herself and everyone and everything.

"Rose, there's no need to get so stressed," Scorpius started slowly, but Rose rounded on him and shoved an accusing finger in his chest.

"_None_ of this would have happened if you had told your parents in the first place!"

Scorpius sighed and bowed his head, massaging his temples. He was starting to develop a headache that seemed to be caused by the pendant in a completely different way than before.

"I can always tell them now," he offered, more to placate Rose and make her stop screaming, than anything.

"And what will your parents do about it? They'll just worry themselves silly!"

"But maybe they can help," Albus said thoughtfully. Rose directed her glare towards him, but let him continue. Albus turned to Scorpius. "You said the pendant could be an heirloom, right? And you said it looked vaguely familiar. Maybe your father has seen it before. Maybe he'll know what curse has been placed on it."

When the two continued to stare at him, he swallowed nervously and said, "Right?"

Rose nodded, her mind already made up, and clutching Scorpius's hand, began to drag him out.

"Where are we going?" Albus yelled, throwing the Invisibility Cloak over the three of them. Scorpius positioned himself so he was completely hidden under the cloak and then matched Rose's pace as they ran down the stairs. It was hard to keep the cloak on while running down the spiraling staircase, but it was easier once they had reached the bottom and they let Rose lead the way. Halfway to their destination, Scorpius realised that they were going to the Owlery, and from the grunt of realisation from behind him, Albus had come to the same conclusion.

They pulled off the cloak at the bottom of the West tower and took the stairs two at a time. By the time they reached the top, they were huffing and panting and massaging the stitches in their sides. The trio stepped around the owl droppings and scrunched their noses at the pungent stench. Rose located Scorpius's owl while he was busy scraping fresh droppings off his shoes, and Conjuring a piece of parchment and a quill, began writing. By the time he got to her, she was already tying the rolled up letter to the owl's foot.

"What did you write?" he asked with concern, unsure of what Rose was capable of writing to his parents in her fit of rage.

"What was necessary," she replied curtly and spinning on her heel, began descending the stairs.

"Oi, can't we take a breather?" Albus moaned as he remained doubled over and massaged his side.

"Not unless you want to get caught," Rose snapped, already climbing down the stairs.

"She's got both uncle Ron and aunt Hermione's flying temper," Albus muttered as he and Scorpius followed at a slower pace. "You should spend a weekend at their house. Everyone's screaming at the top of his or her lungs. Drives you mental."

Scorpius smiled despite himself, and Albus launched into a story about what happened one summer when they were ten. Scorpius only half listened, every nerve in his body was focused on the pendant that pressed against his chest. Although the metal was cool against his skin, it seemed to burn and itch and he wanted to just snatch it off and chuck it into the bottom of the Great Lake. Of course, that would be just as good as him jumping into the lake himself, considering the only thing that was protecting him from the pendant's curse, was the pendant itself.

Talk about irony.

"_Will _you hurry up! We're supposed to meet the other two on patrol!"

Scorpius nodded to Albus just as the latter disappeared under the cloak and he fell into step beside Rose. He could almost see the steam coming out of her ears, she was fuming so much. Taking a risk, he reached out and held her hand, rubbing slow circles along her knuckles with his thumb. She didn't pull away, and by the time they reached the corner where they were supposed to meet Cynthia and Revels, she had calmed down substantially.

They were first to reach, so Scorpius looked around and making sure the other two wouldn't materialise out of nowhere, pulled Rose's face towards him and kissed her softly. She pulled back after a moment and frowned up at him.

"You know we can't," she said, although she sounded regretful.

"Sorry, I just had to," he said and winced when his voice broke.

He had told both Albus and Rose about his nightmare, leaving out the details of what he and Rose had been doing before Lucius appeared, although it had been quite obvious. Both of them had been quite shaken by it and he had made it a point to have as much physical contact with Rose as possible since then, just to shake off the effects of the dream.

"Oh, Scorpius," Rose said softly, touching his cheek and getting on tiptoe to press her lips to his. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

"No _I'm _sorry _you_ have to go through this. I made one foolish mistake and now look where it's gotten me."

He shook his head angrily, feeling his dormant resentment towards his grandfather bubbling to the surface. "I shouldn't have trusted him. I should have gone to my parents. My father would have known what to do. I should have been to him as soon as I got the letter. I volunteered for this to happen. As you sow, so shall you reap," he said bitterly, swallowing thickly and glaring at the wall.

Rose made a simpering sound and hugged him, pulling his head onto her shoulder and stroking his hair. "I'm sorry you have to feel this way. I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"Why me?" Scorpius spat in a strangled voice, holding onto Rose for dear life. "Why is it always me? I'm not one for self-pity, but it seems like the universe takes great pleasure in mocking me and poking fun at me. As though I haven't endured enough hatred because I was born a Malfoy. As if I had to be bestowed with a mountain load of bad luck to go with it."

Rose hushed him with soothing words, rocking back and forth much like Astoria had done when he was little. He hugged her close, his eyes burning.

"I love you so much," he said and his voice cracked. She faltered in her rocking, but resumed as though she hadn't. "I can't lose you. Anything but you."

"Scorpius," Rose said softly, pulling back and shaking her head. She caressed his face and rubbed her thumbs gently against his cheeks. "It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real. It was just the effect of the curse. You won't lose me, Scorpius. I'm right here. I'll always be right here."

He was nodding the whole time she spoke, desperately trying to believe what she said was true, but every time he looked into her warm, brown eyes, all he saw was the pale ghost of a girl with the dead, hollow eyes. He could almost picture the process of those shimmering, lively orbs slowly lose their light. And it killed him every single time.

"I _will _protect you," he swore, more to himself than to her. But she smiled gently at him and nodded, pulling his face down so their foreheads rested against each other.

"I know you will."

She closed her eyes and he breathed in her scent – she smelt like apples and cinnamon and rose water and everything happy and warm and comforting that he loved – and tried to picture her vivid brown eyes behind her eyelids, but his mind kept flashing to the image of her lifeless eyes and he wanted to cry out.

They pulled away after a time and Rose kissed him slowly and he melted into the sweetness of the kiss, letting the feeling wash away the horror of his nightmare. They finally stood together against the wall, their fingers intertwined, and after exactly two minutes, Cynthia and Revels appeared around the corner, almost as if they had been timing their entry so they didn't disturb the two.

"You look much better," Cynthia said to him in an offhanded voice, but there was nothing offhanded about the grateful smile she offered Rose. Rose nodded, squeezed Scorpius's hand, and with a 'See you at breakfast,' disappeared with Revels.

"I know I shouldn't be saying this," Cynthia said in a conflicted sort of voice as they made their way toward the classrooms. "But despite being a Weasley, she's good for you."

Scorpius stared at Cynthia wide-eyed. Ever since the beginning, he had felt the two girls had never got along, but for some reason, after the whole Olivia fiasco the previous year, they were quite amicable with each other.

"Yeah, she is," Scorpius finally said, not bothering to hide the affection in his voice or the smile on his face. She eyed him sideways and nodded, twisting her thick hair around her wrist.

"I don't know what's going on with you, but you've been off since term began and the only times I ever see you alive is when you're on the Pitch or with her and Al. Oh, that's right," she said, her voice taking on the same careless drawl characteristic to Slytherin, as bossy was to Ravenclaw and bold was to Gryffindor and gentle was to Hufflepuff. "I think I fancy that best mate of yours. And if things go well, I might just have him in my clutches come winter."

Her eyes sparkled as she smirked cheekily up at Scorpius and he simply gawked dumbly at her. She laughed and he spluttered and they had somehow mysteriously reached the dungeons.

"_Prosperis_," she told the stone-wall and it rumbled open. "See you later, Scorpius," she called over her shoulder, as she skipped toward the girls' dormitories, leaving a dumbfounded Scorpius behind.

* * *

It wasn't very long before he got a reply from his parents. In fact, Saphira had arrived much earlier than he would have wanted her to.

He let his owl sip from his glass of juice as he bent over the table and let Albus and Rose – who had come to the Slytherin table once she was done with dinner – read it with him.

_Dear Rose,_

_Thank you for writing to us on such short notice. Both Draco and I are very grateful for your care and concern._

_As per your request, we have looked into the matter at hand and have unearthed some unsettling news. It would seem that the object of concern was indeed a family heirloom, until one particular event that caused it to become an object of disconcert and was hence discarded with care. I choose not to divulge very much, in the off chance that this letter is intercepted, as well as because it is simply too much to explain by hand. So, forgive me as I must ask you to consult the book which contains the Malfoy family history, without elimination or modification. Be as it may, it is still an heirloom and I request you handle it with care._

_As to what must be done in concern with the counter-spell, we have not as yet been able to identify it; it would seem the spell placed on it is more than one and owing to the afore mentioned event, has become complicated. Draco is still in pursuit of the answer and we will do everything we can to help - short of floo-ing there personally._

_Thank you again for your care and I must apologise on behalf of my son for his increasing ability to throw himself into the very thick of dangerous situations._

_P.S, Scorpius, please be safe, and your father has instructed that you make no further contact with your grandfather at all costs. Even as we speak, he is trying to track him, and your grandmother, down. Let us know of anything else that transpires in the short interval between my letter and your reply._

_Love,_

_Mother._

They stared at the letter for several minutes and reread it several times. It was written in the usual formal way that he was used to, but Scorpius was more taken by the fact that Astoria had signed the letter much as Lucius had signed his, instead of using her name and the family crest – especially since most of the letter was addressed to Rose, than him. If there was any special meaning to it, like Lucius's signature had, he was too preoccupied to notice.

Rose hummed and stood up, picking up the letter and placing it in the pocket of her robes.

"I think we should go look through the Restricted Section, now," she stated matter-of-factly, and when he and Albus followed after her without objection, she insisted they head to the library first while she went to get them a letter of permission.

Scorpius grit his teeth as he stumbled down the hallways, squinting to keep his vision from blurring. He hadn't slept at all since that night, even though he hadn't had another nightmare, but the effects of the curse plus his exhaustion were finally taking a toll on him. He felt sick to his stomach and could barely keep himself upright, let alone function like a normal person.

"Scorpius, are you alright? Do you want to sit down?"

"'M fine," he grumbled to Albus and swatted the arm offered to him for support.

By the time they reached the library and made their way to the Restricted Section at the back, Scorpius was wheezing for breath and could barely feel his legs. He fell sideways onto a chair and closed his eyes, trying to breathe deeply and calm down.

"Mate, I think we should tell a teacher," Albus was saying, but the Potter's concern only served to agitate the blond more.

"No," Scorpius snapped, opening his eyes to glare at Albus. "I don't want any more trouble than I've already got."

"Scorpius, you can barely stand straight! And you look like you'll keel over from the slightest of breezes! People are going to start noticing if we don't do something!"

"We _are _doing something, aren't we," Scorpius said through gritted teeth as he tried to control his rising temper. It was absurd how angry or how sad or how constantly on edge he was since the nightmare. It was almost as though the pendant was taking over his emotions and possessing him – making him uncontrollable even to himself.

Albus eyed him with an unreadable expression and shaking his head, made off towards one of the bookshelves.

Scorpius sighed. He knew both Rose and Albus were doing everything in their power to help him, but it wasn't his fault that he was cursed by some bloody heirloom! Forget escaping his name, he couldn't even escape the horrors of the Malfoy family's past. It was as though every bad thing the Malfoys had ever done seemed to love to come and bite him in the arse when he least expected it and remind him constantly that he had no means of escape.

He had a sudden urge to pitch himself off the Clock Tower like Albus had suggested, but he scolded himself and tried, once again, to regain control of his thoughts, even as they continued to spiral out of control.

He shook his head and bit down on the inside of his cheek so hard, he tasted blood. He shivered and slowly opened his eyes, willing himself to return to normalcy. He knew his vision would sway and blur and he had expected that, but what he hadn't expected was for everything to fog over and turn black. Was he losing his sight?

He must have yelled out, because someone was shaking him by the shoulder, their muffled voice shouting unintelligible things to him. Was he losing his hearing as well? What was going on… he hadn't heard of any curse that robbed someone of their senses as well as do everything else it was designated to do. He vaguely remembered something in his mother's letter about a multitude of spells being placed on the pendant and he wondered briefly if he was experiencing the effects of said curses.

It made sense, if he were to consider the nightmare as well as his nausea and fatigue. What Rose had said made sense as well. Whatever the reason for the pendant returning to its original cursed state, it was affecting his physical, emotional and mental state of well-being, and slowly but surely, eating away at his sanity as well as his soul.

It was almost as if it was feeding off of him like a parasite did, which meant he must be the reason it was able to restore itself to its full power. It probably fed off of all the negative parts of him, like anger and hatred and fear and fatigue and weariness and confusion. If so, there was no way for him to rid himself of the pendant and it might be too late already. He may die any moment from being sucked dry of all the energy he possessed.

But even as he was conflicted between accepting death and fighting for his life, he could hear incessant screaming in the background and it was growing louder and louder, like he was drawing closer to the source. He couldn't see anything in the complete blackness that surrounded him. He didn't even know if his eyes were open or close. He didn't know if the scream was real and he hadn't lost his hearing after all, or if it was all in his head.

The unceasing screaming reached ear-splitting volume and he would have shut his ears if he could feel his arms. Since he couldn't, he simply remained wherever he was, unable to fight off the screaming or soothe whoever it was that refused to stop. After a time, he got used to the shrillness of the sound and it returned to being in the background, although it hadn't reduced in volume or pitch. He once again began debating as to whether he was going to die a useless, pointless death because of his own stupidity and twisted sense of justice.

Maybe such a death was fitting for someone like him; someone who had nothing and no one in the world. He knew his mind was slowly caving in on itself and succumbing to the power of the curse, but he still insisted on fighting it with whatever strength he had left. He thought of his parents and his lessons and his friends and classmates in Hogwarts; he thought of Albus and how the Potter had saved him from falling into endless despair; he thought of Rose and how she had given him everything he had ever wanted and more; he thought of how he didn't want to lose any of the precious, yet scarce, treasures he possessed.

More than anything, he thought of the sadness and hopelessness on the faces of everyone he loved and cared about if he were to die, and it was more than he could bear. He had already decided a long time ago that he would stand up and fight and not let his fate dictate how he lived his life.

So what if some bloody cursed object ended up choosing him as the target? All he had to do was stop it from eating away at his soul and telling it to get the hell away from him.

It might have just been his dulling sanity, but he was sure that the blackness around him wasn't as black and as stifling as before. It was almost grey, like there was light outside of it that was trying to break through.

So he fought with the light to get rid of the blackness. He felt the painful tug of the curse in his heart, but he also felt the heat of the metal square against his skin. He could slowly hear a steady ringing in his ears as though he had just resurfaced from the depths of the water after a long time. He could feel warmth and pain on his skin where someone was clutching his arms and shoulders and shaking him. He could feel cold and numbness on his face where someone had repeatedly slapped his cheeks and even as he felt sensation in the tips of his fingers and his toes, the darkness was ebbing away to form a fuzzy vignette at the edges of his vision.

Colour was returning to his sightless eyes… sounds were returning to his unhearing ears… feeling was returning to his desensitised skin…

But even as he saw the tear-streaked redhead cry out with happiness in front of him and reach out to him, he felt his chest burn from where the cursed pendant seared his skin and he lunged for her, seeing nothing but an unknown enemy who was laughing maniacally and threatening to rob him of everything he loved. Even though he had regained control of his body, the process of doing so had defied the very core of the curse and thus, stole from him the one thing that he would have valued more than his ability to hear or see or feel.

His ability to differentiate between reality and insanity.

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**A/n: Hello! How was this for a sudden bouncer to take you off guard? Tell me your thoughts and feelings about this chapter!**

**Lots of love~**


	26. Unraveling

**A/n: This chapter is dedicated to the absolutely fantabulous NightmarePrince for being the awesome person that he is. Happy birthday oh Master of everything Dark and Ansgty! Go read his stories everyone, you have my word on how fantastic they are!**

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**Chapter 26**

**Unraveling**

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When she came to, the first thing she noticed was the hardness of the hospital bed she was lying on and the whiteness of the privacy curtains around it. The second thing she noticed was the shouting and swearing voices that were arguing at the top of their lungs right outside the screens.

It took her a moment to orient herself to what had happened and with her heart sinking, she slowly sat up without making a sound, trying to make out what the shouting was all about. She started when she heard her father's voice and she felt her skin break into gooseflesh, shocked by the disgust and hatred and anger in it. The second voice that wasn't as loud but just as venomous, was Draco Malfoy's and she was just as shocked to hear him talk in anything more than cool indifference. Her mother and Astoria's voice were in the background, trying to placate the men and she also recognised her uncle Harry and Albus's voices.

She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them close, shivering not from cold, but fear. As soon as she shut her eyes, all she could see was wild, frenzied silver and all she could hear was hysterical screaming.

She had not expected Scorpius to lunge at her; nor had she expected him to throw her to the ground and look at her with bared teeth like he was going to rip her throat out. Before she could even scream, something had changed in his eyes and he had jumped to his feet, had looked around hurriedly, like he was expecting someone to leap out from behind a bookshelf and clobber him to death, and then, after casting her one last look, had all but sprinted out of the library.

Since it had been nearing curfew, the library had been almost completely empty and before anyone could reach them, Scorpius had disappeared. Both her and Albus had been completely stunned beyond reason with what Scorpius had done. One moment he had looked like a lifeless corpse and the next minute he was tearing towards her like a rabid Werewolf. The only things that she did notice, was the confusion in his eyes at what he was doing and the smoking hole in his uniform through which the cursed pendant was visible.

After that, she had probably fainted and Albus must have carried her to the Hospital Wing. Now that she was awake, she didn't know what had happened after the time she had fallen unconscious and with every passing minute, her feeling of utter despair only escalated. Unable to bear anymore of the shouting, she threw herself off the bed and ripped open the curtains, staring at everyone with red eyes.

Hermione immediately cried out and pulled her into a hug. Even Ron – whose face was twisted in a snarl and was as red as his hair – managed to look slightly less menacing as he regarded her with concern.

"Oh, Rosie!" Hermione sobbed, clutching her daughter for dear life. Her mother seemed to cry an awful lot lately and it made her feel quite guilty.

"Mum please, I'm fine," she insisted, prying her mother off of her. She gave her a reassuring smile and then turned to look at the others. Her eyes paused on Astoria – who looked pale as death, her usually up done hair sticking to her sallow face and hanging limply down her shoulders. She kept wringing her hands and her posture was hunched and pulled together, like she wanted to seem as small as possible. She finally turned to look toward her father, purposely avoiding Albus, Harry and Draco's eyes.

"What's going on, daddy?"

She had hoped referring to him as she had when she was little, would calm him down in the slightest, but it seemed to make his anger worse. His whole body seemed to expand like an inflated balloon and he glowered at her.

"Why don't _you _tell _me,_ Rosie."

Rose flinched at the sharpness of his voice and finally glanced at her cousin. From the way his jaw was set and his cheeks were pale, to his terrified eyes, she knew her father had found out about her and Scorpius. How that had happened was a different story entirely and she had an inkling it had something to do with Hugo and her brother's dislike for Scorpius.

"I don't know. I just woke up to everyone shouting," she said, making her voice sound as calm as possible. Her father looked like he was going to take her across his knee and start punishing her for being a bad girl, although he had never done so once in her life.

"That _boy_," he spat, jerking his chin towards Draco. "Almost _killed _you, that's what!"

"Nonsense!"

It was Hermione who had spoken, which was probably the only reason Ron fisted his robes tightly and grit his teeth, although he looked like he wanted to lash out at her.

"Hermione," Harry said warningly, taking a step towards Ron and raising his hand as though he wanted to restrain his best mate before he assaulted someone.

Hermione seemed to shrink beside Rose, but she raised her chin stubbornly and sniffed at her husband. "It's not Scorpius's fault—"

"_I don't bloody care if it was that bloody brat's fault or yours or anybody else's!"_

A tense silence fell over the room as everyone started at Ron's outburst and stared at him as though they expected him to explode into flames. Nobody moved so much as a hair. Nobody breathed and nobody spoke; at least, until Draco's icy voice cut through the silence like a deadly dagger.

"Then I don't see why you seem to think my son is at fault here, Weasley."

If it weren't for Harry's hand on Ron's shoulder, he probably would have lunged at the other man and thrown him to the ground.

"If you don't _mind_ Malfoy, I'd like to speak with my daughter."

Draco stared at Ron for so long, it was almost like he was challenging the latter to see how far he could push his luck. But in the end, he cast Rose a passing glance and spinning on his heel, strode out of the room with the same regality as always. Astoria shared a worried look with Hermione and then took off after her husband, almost jogging to keep up with Draco's long strides and momentarily forgetting to act with the usual grace she always did.

After another tense moment, Harry let go of Ron and nodding to Hermione, the two made their way to one of the beds further down. They didn't leave the room and neither did Albus; who simply stepped back and sat down on the bed across from Rose's, staring intently at his uncle. Harry had probably left his son there just as reassurance that he would stop Ron from doing something regrettable.

Ron twisted to the side and collapsed onto the bed besides Rose's. She could feel his intense stare boring into her, but she simply continued to stare at the ground and stood where she was, half-turned away from her father, one hand gripping the railing at the base of the bed for support.

"How long did you think you could play this little game?"

She wanted to scream and throw herself at Ron and smack her hands at his chest and cry and yell and tell him what an idiot he was, but all she did was set her jaw, look up at him and say in as flat a voice as she could muster,

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ron growled, his eyes flashing, and Rose saw Albus shift from the corner of her eye.

"Do not lie to me, Rose," Ron hissed and she had to will herself not to flinch. Ron almost never called her Rose. She was always Rosie. His darling little Rosie. To hear him call her by her given name was more of a shock to her than the expression of disgust with which he was currently looking at her.

"I am not lying," she said, glad her voice had dropped so low that he couldn't hear it tremble.

"So you're not smitten with that brainless Malfoy boy, then?"

Her immediate reaction was to get angry that he had insulted Scorpius, than to react to what he had said. After pulling herself together, though, she did realise and had to bite back a sigh.

So that was why he was so angry.

It wasn't just that he had found out that she was with Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's son. It wasn't even that he thought Scorpius was taking her for a ride or tricked her into the relationship or the like. It was that he had accepted the fact that _she liked him._

"Oh," she said softly, shaking her head. She bit her lip to stop herself from chuckling. It made so much sense now. Her father would have been angry when he had found out about the relationship, but he wouldn't have cared as much because he would have been under the delusion that Scorpius was just fooling around and they would eventually part ways. He probably had never thought, in his wildest of dreams, that his daughter would come to love the son of the person he despised the most.

"It's not a game," she said, her voice sounding light and faint to her own ears. "I love Scorpius, dad, whether you're going to accept it or not."

Yes, she had expected him to draw his wand out. Yes, she had expected him to jump to his feet and hex something near by. Yes, she had expected him to shout and swear and move towards her like he was going to slap her.

But she hadn't expected that he would _actually_ slap her.

So when the hit came, she was thrown to the side, the force of it, plus its unexpectedness, completely throwing her off her feet. She lost her balance and fell sideways, hitting her head sharply against the metal bar she had been holding. She collapsed to the floor, her breathing ragged, tears stinging her eyes. She heard Albus shout and run towards her, followed by Hermione and Harry, but it was already too late. What Ron had done couldn't be undone.

Albus helped her to her feet and she stood up shakily, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered and she didn't care that she was sobbing. The place where she had hit her head burned and when she reached up to touch it, her fingers drew back with blood on them. Just the sight of her own blood piqued her anger and she felt it boil through her veins and fill her up with rage. She finally looked at her father and swallowed, her rage clouding any feelings of remorse or pity for the completely appalled and horrified expression on his face. He was shaking his head, having gone completely pale, his mouth hanging open and he looked like he couldn't find the words to apologise to her. And she knew he couldn't, because there was nothing he could say to make her forgive him, just then.

It wasn't that he had raised his hand against her. It wasn't that he had yelled at her. It wasn't that he hated the boy she loved, with a passion. It was that he had rejected her and her ability to make her own decisions. He had slapped her simply because she had told him truthfully that she loved Scorpius. She hadn't expected him to understand or accept it, but she sure as hell hadn't expected him to completely reject the very idea of her loving him so violently that he would even raise his hand against her.

"Are you regretting what you did, daddy?" she spat, and was surprised in the least by how cold and disgusted she sounded. Ron's eyes widened and she could've sworn he looked close to tears, the hurt clear on his face, but all Rose could see was red.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but it's too late for regret. Did it ever cross your mind even once that I'm your daughter and I wouldn't make such an important decision stupidly? Did you ever, for a moment, think of listening to what I had to say? No, forget all that, were you ever going to see Scorpius as anything other than the son of a Death Eater that you absolutely despise?"

When Ron's eyes widened some more and he opened his mouth as though to apologise, his head shaking slightly, Rose felt her insides harden.

"Of course not. Why would you? Why would you see him as the perfectly charming young man he is, since you're so completely blinded by your idiotic hate for his father and his family name and everything that he's not. Remember the first thing you told me about Scorpius on the first day of school all those years ago? I am so glad I did not listen to you. It took me a while, but I finally saw him for who he is. And I don't care who his parents or grandparents or ancestors are; I don't care that the world hates him with the same petty hatred that you do; and I don't care that our families have been at war since the beginning of time. To me, he is just Scorpius and I love him and nothing you or anybody says or does is going to change that. And if you can't accept it, well too bad, because you just lost your one chance to hear me out and listen to what I have to say. I hope you can live happily for the rest of your life with your disgustingly petty way of thinking."

And she turned on her heel and ran out of the room, tears streaming down her face. She heard her mother and uncle call out to her, she heard Albus try to reason with her as she ran past him, but she didn't care.

She'd had enough. It hurt her that her own father couldn't see Scorpius for what he really was. It hurt her that he wasn't even willing to give him the chance that he deserved. It hurt her that he had rejected him so completely before he could even get to know Scorpius. It hurt her that he wasn't even willing to hear her out. It hurt her that he thought his own daughter would make a decision that he considered the worst. It hurt her that he couldn't see past the Blood-traitors and the Pure-bloods and the family feuds, enough to simply give Scorpius a single chance.

She wanted to scream and as she slammed the door to the Hospital Wing shut behind her, she did. She doubled over and screamed and sobbed and wailed and just remained there until someone wrapped their arms around her and cradled her to their chest, shushing her softly and rocking back and forth.

"Why," she wailed to no one in particular as Astoria stroked her hair and let her cry her heart out.

"Why can't he see—why doesn't he understand—is it so wrong—is it so wrong to love someone just because their family and mine hate each other—"

"Hush, love, hush," Astoria crooned as Rose wept openly after a long time. When she finally raised her head up, she saw Draco watching her, and he had the most unfathomably tender expression on his face. She pulled back, embarrassed that Scorpius's parents had seen such an ungraceful side of her. She apologised as Astoria helped her to her feet, but the woman only smiled gently at her, her eyes warm and affectionate.

When Rose stepped towards the long bench Draco was sitting on, he stood up and looked at her with the same inscrutable expression. She noticed, for the first time, that Draco's eyes weren't as steel-grey as she had thought they were. When he let himself act like the father he was, Draco's eyes were the same shimmering liquid silver that she knew so well.

"Do you really love him?"

When Rose gawked at him dumbly, Draco chuckled and repeated his question. "Scorpius. Do you love him?"

"I do," was her immediate answer. There was no hesitation or pause. It wasn't something she needed time to think about. The more time she spent with and away from Scorpius, the more obvious her feelings for him became. She loved him and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I'm sorry if you don't accept it," she said curtly, afraid that Draco would react somewhat in the same way her father had, but his eyes simply widened, in what she could only think was amusement, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he said,

"And why would you think I would not?"

Rose made a face and touched her cheek lightly. She knew it was probably red and swollen, but she was sure her whole face was puffy after her crying episode. "Because my dad didn't take it too well. He slapped me pretty hard."

Draco's eyes flashed, but he immediately regained his composure and said, "That would seem exactly like what Weasley would do. But," he said and Rose's breath caught in her throat as Draco smiled – a real, genuine smile. Not his usual ones that looked like he was going to be sick or like it was such a bother that he'd rather not do it. "I have absolutely no qualms about it, if your feelings for my son are true."

"Why would I lie?" Rose asked incredulously, still dumbfounded by the fact that Scorpius had got his father's smile. She'd always thought his personality was all Astoria, but maybe not, after all.

Draco simply chuckled at the question and then did something that shocked Rose enough that she stood rooted to the spot, like someone had Stupefied her and Petrified her at the same time.

He reached forward and tilting her chin up with two fingers, placed a feather light kiss on her forehead.

When he pulled back, his entire demeanour rearranged itself to the usual Draco Malfoy, head of Malfoy Manor, that she knew; the same lazy smirk on his face, his chin held high, looking down his nose at her, his shoulders straights, his posture tall. But the only thing that betrayed that what he had done was real, and not something Rose's untamed imagination had conjured up, was the way his silver eyes glittered with mirth.

"Now, if you will excuse us," he said in his usual formal tone, dripping with politeness, "Astoria and I must go see Headmistress McGonagall on the issue of our son."

He did a half bow of sorts that made it seem like he acknowledged Rose, but didn't think it was beneath him to do so. He then glided down the hallway, casting a beckoning look at his wife. Astoria moved closer to Rose and pulled her into a tight hug, whispering into her ear in a voice choked with emotion, "Thank you."

When she pulled back, her dark eyes were shimmering with unshed tears and Rose felt her heart warm for the woman in front of her.

"No, thank you," she said, smiling at Scorpius's mother. Astoria sighed delightedly and with a small peck on Rose's cheek, strode after her husband and away.

Rose watched them until they disappeared around a corner and then sunk down onto the bench, suddenly feeling exhausted by the whole ordeal. She stared at the large double doors in front of her, her chest tightening painfully and tears pooling in her eyes. She was starting to wish her father hadn't done what he had done, because all she wanted to do was throw the doors open and run into Ron's arms, apologise to him and take back everything she had said. Despite everything, he only did what he did out of love and she couldn't forget the hurt in his eyes when she had left after saying what she had.

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**A/n: -fist pumps- YESSS IT HAS HAPPENED! DRACO IS OFFICIALLY THE HEAD SHIPPER OF SCOROSE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Agh I am so happy about this chapter; especially since Rose put her bloody idiot of a father in his place and ALL THE MALFOY FEELS UGH. **

**A penny for your thoughts and a ginormous cookie for your reviews! Speaking of, I just reached two hundred reviews and am almost at a hundred follows! Thank you so much, you guys, y'all are the bestest! :')**

**Lots and lots and lots of love~**


	27. Hanging By A Thread

**Chapter 27**

**Hanging By A Thread**

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"Ronald! I cannot believe—"

"Why would you do that!"

Three pairs of eyes settled on Albus as he stormed towards his uncle, absolutely fuming. Ron looked up from where he was sitting and frowned.

"There was no need to slap her! She didn't do anything wrong!"

"Al," Harry started, but Albus ignored his father.

"Everything she said is true! And I'm not just saying this to support Rose, either! Scorpius is my best mate and he is nothing but the best kind of person there is! Are you so blinded by your ridiculous hatred that you can't even look past it?"

"Albus," Harry said warningly, but Albus only shot him a look and then turned back to his uncle.

"You're being completely unfair!"

"Al, that's enough," Harry said, moving toward his son and holding his arm.

"No!" Albus yelled, pulling his arm away and glaring at his father. "No it isn't! I've had enough of him just insulting and ridiculing Scorpius all the time, dad! You've known Scorpius for years now and you know what a good lad he is!"

"I do, Albus—"

"So why can't _he _see it?!" Albus all but shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Ron. Ron's face had grown red again, the tips of his ears burning like they did when he was angry or embarrassed.

"This has nothing to do with you, Al, this is something between Rosie and me—"

"Bollocks!"

"Albus Severus Potter, that's enough," Harry snapped, glowering at his son.

Albus grit his teeth and regarded Harry for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry and you can punish me later, but right now I have to say this."

Harry opened his mouth to argue with that, but Hermione touched his arm and shook her head slightly. Albus turned back to Ron and clenched his fists on either side.

"You've done nothing but make all three of our lives miserable. Ever since that time Scorpius came to the Burrow, you've threatened him, you've insulted him, you've ridiculed him and you've made sure that everyone knows you hate him. But even then none of us said anything, Scorpius the least. Rose was so upset about it that she would cry herself to sleep, but she still let it go. Last summer, you made her life miserable but she still forgave it because you were her dad and it was OK. But this was the last straw.

"Do you even know anything about Scorpius? Do you know that he's brilliant at everything he does? He's always top of his class like Rose, he's the best Keeper Slytherin has ever had, he's a great friend, a great Prefect, a great senior and is going to be a great Head Boy. And despite all that, you _still_ hate him for no other reason other than that he's a Malfoy? Has Scorpius ever done anything to incur your wrath?"

Ron growled and said in a hollow voice, "Done anything—I'll tell you what he's done—"

"It's not his fault his grandfather is a lunatic! It's not his fault some bloody bloke stuck a spike through him! It's not his fault some psycho Veela tried to drown him! It's not his fault he has bad luck along with his family name and all the hate! Do you know who hates Scorpius the most? Scorpius himself!"

Ron frowned and Hermione gasped. Harry sighed and shook his head. Albus was shaking, his face flushed and his eyes burning. He had to tell his uncle exactly how much of an idiot he was. He couldn't stand seeing his two best friends suffering anymore. They didn't deserve to suffer like that. They deserved to be happy. They deserved to be accepted. They deserved to be given a chance. And Albus intended to be the one to help them get what they deserved.

"I think—I think you're being unreasonable, Uncle Ron. I think you should give Scorpius a chance and hear him out. He isn't playing around like you think he is. He really does love Rose."

"Love," Ron scoffed, baring his teeth. "What do you brats know about love—"

"I agree I might not know, but he's been in love with her for almost five years now."

All three adults gaped at him and Albus scratched his chin, suddenly awkward. It was true that Scorpius had loved Rose from the very beginning. Albus remembered the conversation they had in Fourth year when Scorpius confessed that he liked Rose. And then he had asked Albus if he believed in love at first sight. At the time, Albus had thought he was joking, but the way Scorpius looked at Rose even before he realised it...that time in Hogsmeade and the times even before that—it was obvious how he felt towards her. Rose may not have felt the same way from the start, but he knew that after the time at Hogsmeade in their third year, she had definitely started noticing Scorpius in a way that was different than how she noticed Hugo and the rest of them.

Albus shook his head, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "You haven't seen the way he looks at her, Uncle Ron. It's the same as how Teddy looks at Vic, if not more. And she loves him. She accepts him for who he is."

Albus shook his head again. "Scorpius used to think that all his life he was going to be alone and only surrounded by people who despised him and hated him and assaulted him for things he never did. But Rose… Rose was different. Even when she didn't like him very much in the beginning, it was because of things that he himself did, not because his father and grandfather were Death Eaters or solely because he's a Malfoy."

Albus laughed slightly, a lump forming in his throat. He wondered what Scorpius would say if he saw Albus standing up for him the way he was. He probably would ask him why, like he had done in First year, when Albus had gotten angry that Scorpius had been bullied.

"He really is a good lad," Albus said and grimaced when his voice broke at the end. "So please just give him a chance. A real chance. That's all I'm asking. Treat him as you would any boy who was with Rose. That's all he deserves."

Albus cleared his throat and rubbed the cuff of his sleeve against his nose. He looked at his shoes, shifting awkwardly, embarrassed by the way the three adults were looking at him.

"I think Al has made a fair point. Don't you, Ronald?" Hermione finally asked, her voice laced with mirth and affection. Albus glanced up through his bangs, gauging his uncle's reaction.

Ron was rubbing the back of his neck and grumbling, a stubborn frown on his face. Harry finally shook his head and chuckled. He clapped Ron on the shoulder and said, "You can ask Ginny or James or Lily or any of the others, mate. You're the only one who actually dislikes Scorpius purely because he's a Malfoy."

"And Rosie's boyfriend," Ron grumbled and Albus snapped his head up, his eyes wide. Was that an acknowledgement? Had Ron just acknowledged Scorpius?

Ron tutted and beckoned for Albus to come closer. When he did, Ron stood up and ruffled the boy's hair with unnecessary force.

"You're right. I'll give the fellow a chance. And anyway, I'd rather that than have Rosie mad at me," he said sullenly, a martyr-like expression on his face. Harry and Hermione laughed and Ron turned red. Of course, all he really cared about was Rose. _He dotes on her too much_, Albus though with a chuckle.

When they finally stepped out of the Hospital Wing, Rose – who had been sitting on the bench opposite the door – sprang to her feet, her eyes wide and fearful. Behind him, Albus heard Ron come to an abrupt halt and Harry must have bumped into him, from the muffled 'oomf'. Before anybody could say anything, Rose burst into tears and Ron was by her side instantly, folding her in his arms and cradling her against his chest.

"Oh daddy," she wailed, sniffling and sobbing loudly. "I'm sorry!"

Even Ron's eyes glistened with moisture as he pressed his lips to Rose's head and closed his eyes.

"As am I, love. Will you forgive me?"

Rose pulled back and looked up at the hopeful smile on her father's face. Then she stepped back, crossed her arms and stuck her lower lip out at him.

"No," she sniffed, swiping her sleeve across her face.

It was actually quite funny, the way Ron's face went from red to white to green and how his shoulders slumped hopelessly and his mouth fell open and he spluttered at the immediate rejection.

"B-But I apologised!" he stammered, aghast that his Rosie hadn't forgiven him.

"You slapped me," Rose stated matter-of-factly, frowning at her father. "You've never slapped me."

"And you've never told me you've loved a boy who he isn't family before!"

"I've told you I love Lorcan and Lysander," Rose interjected and Ron looked dumbfounded.

"They're Luna's! That makes them family!"

Rose huffed and stuck her nose in the air. "You called Scorpius brainless," she said, sounding affronted.

Ron just gaped at his daughter as Albus, Harry and Hermione burst out laughing. From the way Rose's eyes were glittering, they could tell she was only pulling Ron's leg, knowing he'd take it to heart. Ron turned red again, looking from Rose to the others with wide-eyes.

"I don't—" he started, completely bewildered about what was happening. Hermione giggled and walked up to him, wrapping one arm around his waist and pulling Rose close with the other.

"Oh Ron," she chuckled, "Rosie's only teasing."

"Teasing!" Ron blustered, his nostrils flaring. He looked so scandalised that it reminded Albus of the time Scorpius had teased Rose in their first year, when he told her she was a great idiot.

Everyone laughed some more and as the adults made their way down the hall towards McGonagall's office, Albus walked beside Rose. She linked her arm with his and skipped lightly, humming under her breath. Albus watched her and smiled. It was good to see her happy again. It unsettled him greatly when she was upset or cried, even after so many years.

"Oh by the way," Rose said just they reached the stone gargoyles outside the Headmistress's office. "Where's Scorpius?"

"Ah," Albus said thoughtfully, having forgotten that Rose had run out before anyone could tell her anything. He watched as the wall opened up and a spiraling staircase turned to a stop before them. McGonagall must have opened it from her office.

"You'll see," he said, a sense of trepidation settling over him as he led her up the stairs.

* * *

She did see, actually. Although, what it was that she was seeing, she wasn't entirely sure about.

The Headmistress's office looked the same as always - with her desk atop a small platform at the back of the room and the surrounding walls covered by dozing portraits of previous Headmasters - except for the line of chairs on one side, where the parents sat, and a large overstuffed reclining chair, like the ones Rose had seen in Muggle movie theatres, that was in the centre of the room. The back of the reclining chair was towards the door, so she couldn't see who was sitting on it, but when she moved around it in a wide circle and noticed the shining mop of platinum hair, her eyes widened and she stared.

Scorpius was reclining in the chair – or, at least, it _looked_ like he was, except his wrists and ankles were bound to the arms and feet rests with soft leather binds and his head was lolling to the side, like he was unconscious.

"What's wrong with him?" Rose choked, tears immediately springing to her eyes as Scorpius jolted suddenly and then groaned, a pained look overcoming his handsome features.

"The effects of fighting off a powerful curse," McGonagall said flatly from where she sat at her desk, a strained expression on her face.

"He's fighting it?" Rose asked, suddenly wondering if that was what had happened in the library. McGonagall nodded sombrely and steepled her bony fingers, gazing over them with glassy eyes like that of a cat.

"He is _trying_ to fight it," she corrected momentarily as Scorpius jerked his head from side to side and strained against his restraints.

"But he's in pain," Rose whimpered, automatically making her way towards him.

"I would advise you not to go near him, Miss Weasley," McGonagall commanded and Rose abruptly stopped with her hand paused in mid air as she had been reaching out to touch him.

"If you touch him, he'll react the same way he did before, Rosie," Albus said softly as he came to stand beside her. He intertwined their fingers and kept her hand by her side while she sniffled quietly.

"What about the counter-curse?" she asked and when McGonagall didn't seem inclined to answer, she looked over her shoulder at the parents.

Her heart started to sink at the grave expressions on all their faces. Both Draco and Astoria seemed to have aged several years and even Ron looked frightened.

"You haven't found it yet," Rose said, more than questioned, her voice shrill. Scorpius stopped struggling and began to groan behind her.

"He's suffering so much and you're just watching?" Rose demanded, trying to pry her hand away from Albus's iron grip.

"Rosie, calm down. We can't do anything till they find him," Albus said in a low voice, his face a grimace as he tried to look anywhere except at his best mate and failed to do so.

"Until who finds whom!"

"Several groups of Aurors have been dispatched in order to locate, capture and bring Lucius Malfoy here immediately," Harry explained briskly, checking a watch-like device on his wrist every now and then while tapping it impatiently, like he expected it to tell him exactly where Lucius was.

It must do something of the like, because ten minutes later, he made an approving sound and tapped the face of the watch with his index finger. He then muttered what sounded like an incantation and slowly raised his finger a few inches above the surface of the watch. He turned it vertically so the inside portion was facing towards him and a translucent parchment-like hologram unwrapped itself from his finger and connected to the watch face. A series of runes and symbols ran across the hologram's surface and after what seemed like ages, Harry nodded and twisted his finger back to how it was, causing the hologram to wrap itself around it again and then he flicked it to the side, as though discarding the hologram and whatever information was on it.

He then nodded towards Draco and walked up to McGonagall to have a hushed conversation with her. After a heated back and forth argument, McGonagall finally nodded and spoke into the miniature record player on her desk. After a moment, the record player spoke back in what sounded like Neville's voice, and five minutes after, there was a sharp rap on the door and Neville stepped in.

He clapped both Ron and Harry on the back and briefly hugged Hermione before nodding to the Malfoys and making his way to McGonagall's desk. While the two Professors exchanged quiet words, Harry briefed the parents on what exactly had happened. Rose's eyes flicked from one group to the other and then to Scorpius, constantly. She could tell that something was going to happen and she would know what, soon.

Hermione finally came up to them and told them that they were to go to Hagrid and inform him of what had happened and tell him to prepare the shelter. Neither Rose nor Albus knew what the shelter was, so they agreed without question, curious to go and see for themselves.

It turned out that the shelter was a small, magically created outcrop, just within the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest. The Hippogriffs that lived in the Forbidden Forest seemed to have moved to that shelter and it was where Hagrid cared for them and let them stay whenever they pleased. After some persuasion, lots of bowing and throwing ferrets to them and coaxing them, they managed to make most of the Hippogriffs to retreat into the forest, and by the time the others arrived, the stragglers were finally deciding to leave.

Neville and Harry levitated the reclining chair with Scorpius in it to a spot near the back of the outcropping. Harry undid the Disillusionment Charm they had cast on the chair and Scorpius so as to not arouse suspicion and McGonagall had a talk with Hagrid as the rest of them stood in front of the chair in two rows, Harry, Draco and McGonagall right in the front and middle and the others, behind and to the side, in a loose semi-circle.

Rose suddenly caught on to what was going on and tugged at Albus's shirt. "Are they bringing him _here_?"

"It would seem so," Albus mumbled, motioning for her to be quiet. They had been instructed to hide behind the large rock right behind Scorpius's chair, just in case Lucius was somehow able to do something, so they could take him by surprise.

It seemed like forever before Harry did the thing with his watch again, and five minutes later, a troop of Aurors marched out of the trees and towards them. In the centre, with his hands cuffed in front of him in heavy looking shackles, was Lucius. His skin was patchy and his hair was greasy, like it had been ages since he had bathed. His clothes were tattered and disheveled and the front of his left shoe was torn. Nobody would have ever guessed that the previous heir of the Malfoy name would end up in a state such as his.

The Auror at the lead walked up to Harry and after a brief exchange, the group in front of Scorpius parted so that four Aurors could push and shove Lucius forwards. Draco and Astoria stood before him and from her position, Rose couldn't see their expressions, but from the way their shoulders went rigid and they stilled, it didn't seem like they were any happier to see him than the rest of them.

Rose heard Draco ask Lucius for the counter-curse immediately and Lucius simply wheezed quietly – Rose realised with mild shock that he was laughing. After his fit subsided, he said, loud enough that she could hear clearly,

"Counter-curse? What in the world are you saying, my dear boy?"

"The counter-curse for that bloody pendant," Draco snapped, his voice as sharp as it had been in the Hospital Wing. Lucius simply wheezed some more and shook his head.

"There's no counter-curse. But I _can_ remove it."

"Bollocks. I don't want or need your lies, Lucius. Give me the counter-curse."

"Don't you want to know where your mother is, Draco?"

Draco swore and pulled out his wand. The Aurors immediately reacted, but Harry was faster. He raised one hand for them to stop and with the other hand, drew his own wand and stuck the tip to Lucius's neck. "We don't want to play your bloody mind games. Give us the counter-curse and we'll let you on your way."

"Ha! Let me on my way? The only way I'm going if I give you the counter-curse, is to hell!"

"Then so be it," Draco hissed, flicking his wand with a quiet murmur and causing Lucius to scream in pain as he crumpled to the floor.

"Malfoy," Harry warned, although he didn't do anything to stop the Cruciatus Curse. Draco persisted for a minute longer and then drew his wand back. The Aurors forced Lucius to his feet and shoved him forwards roughly.

"Spit it out already, old man," Draco growled, flicking his wand again.

Except, this time, Lucius knew it was coming and raising his hands, muttered something under his breath. Draco jerked and dropped his wand, clutching his head.

Then everything happened at once.

The Aurors shouted and drew out their wands, each of them performing a different spell, while Lucius lunged towards Scorpius, muttering a Summoning Spell simultaneously. The reclining chair soared towards him and the Aurors paused for a second, afraid they would hit Scorpius by accident, but that second was enough for Lucius to grab Scorpius and Disapparate. The spells that came one second too late, shattered the rock from behind which Rose and Albus had sprung out, but the mistake had already been made.

Harry swore loudly and kicked a piece of the rock that had blown apart. Astoria collapsed to the ground with a horrible wail and Draco staggered, his face ashen. McGonagall was already instructing Hagrid and Neville to comb the forest with the rest of the Aurors even as Harry was shouting instructions to his watch.

Rose felt her knees buckle and she crumpled to the floor, her skin tearing from the impact with the hard ground beneath her, but she was too shocked to register the pain. He was gone. Scorpius was gone. One second he was there and the next, he was gone. Lucius had performed a wandless Summoning charm. He had cast a wandless Legilimency spell on Draco. How exactly was he so dreadfully powerful? He was supposed to be insane, not insanely skilled with wandless magic. She already knew there was no point in searching the forest. Lucius could have Apparated to another country, for all they knew.

She might never see Scorpius again. The realisation of that fact was slowly growing larger and larger within her, spreading through her like wildfire and paralysing her. No. No, he couldn't die. He wouldn't die. Lucius might have been a lunatic, but he must at least care for his grandson to some extent.

_But enough to let him live?_

_No_, she chided herself. Thinking such thoughts were useless. All she could do was pray that he would be alive and that uncle Harry reached him on time. She slowly rose to her feet and made her way towards where Draco and Astoria were sitting, surrounded by her parents, Albus, Harry and McGonagall. Draco was shaking his head and saying something, but her ears were ringing too loudly for her to catch the entire sentence. But she did hear him say something about knowing where Narcissa might be. Harry immediately began relaying instructions to his watch and when he turned to Apparate, Draco caught hold of his robes.

"Let me come with you."

"Malfoy—"

"_He's my son."_

Harry regarded him for a long minute and finally nodded. He turned to Ron and said, "Take everyone to the safe house. Now." And the two Disapparated.

"Safe house? We're going as well?" Albus asked, his voice sounding unusually high pitched. Hermione nodded and clutched Rose's arm, her lower lip trembling.

"Let's go, love."

* * *

And for the next thirty-seven hours, she sat in the small, dingy safe house—waiting, praying, and hoping. Her brief moment of happiness was long forgotten, as she awaited news of Harry and Draco or the search for Narcissa, Lucius and Scorpius.

* * *

**A/n: Hello! Here's another rather intense chapter! I was so pumped up when Al was yelling at Ronald. WAY TO GO AL!**

**Edit: A guest reviewer was kind enough to point out that Lucius Apparating thing and I decided to leave an A/n regarding it. I misinterpreted "cannot Apparate or Diapparate within the grounds of Hogwarts" as literally being within the grounds and did not realise that it means the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake as well. My little canonical miss that I am killing myself about, forgive me for that.**

**Anyway, a penny for your thoughts and a cookie for your reviews!**

**Love~**


	28. Narcissa's Loyalty

**A/n: What's this?! An early update!? YES! BECAUSE GUESS WHOSE STORY JUST HIT A HUNDRED FOLLOWERS!**

**Thank you so so so so so extremely much for all your love and patience and here's an extra early chapter to celebrate a hundred follows and 200 reviews! Y'all are awesome :')**

**Lots and lots of love~**

* * *

**Chapter 28**

**Narcissa's Loyalty**

* * *

The safe house was a reasonably sized, ramshackle hunter's cabin somewhere in the outskirts of London. It was a square, single-storeyed cabin in the middle of an ancient woodland, made from the sturdy wood of the trees surrounding it. It had a sloping, tiled roof whose coat of paint had long since faded away, much like the shine of the old wood, that left the cabin looking worn and desolate. There were five rooms inside: one large sitting room-cum-dining room-cum kitchen, three bedrooms and one small bathroom. There was only one old lamp hanging in the centre of the wooden ceiling in every room, and several rusted lanterns and oil lamps placed here and there.

The sitting room had an old sofa, whose stuffing was more outside it than inside, and two rickety armchairs that looked like they would fall apart at any moment. The dining table was a lopsided thing with one leg broken that had been redone in a very poor way by whatever Muggles had been there, and it seated four people – five, if you huddled around it. The kitchen consisted of three empty overhead cupboards, three spider-web filled cupboards under a filthy sink and a shelf on either side of it that held two broken mugs and a bent fork.

Two bedrooms consisted of two bunks pushed tightly against opposite walls, and a small chest of drawers with a lantern atop it squashed in between them. The bunks creaked and groaned with the smallest amount of weight and shuddered violently if you so much as turned in your sleep. The larger of the three bedrooms had one bed pushed against one wall and a table against the other. There was a wardrobe in between the two, which contained rat-bitten towels, moth-eaten clothes and a weathered, but comparatively better off, first aid box.

Rose, Hermione and Astoria occupied one of the smaller bedrooms, which was beside the sitting room, and Albus and Ron occupied the other one, which was beside the entrance to the cabin. There was a wooden railing that ran along all sides of the outside of the cabin, with two stairs in the middle that led down from the raised landing. From the outside, the cabin looked the same from every direction. It had two windows in each side and a lantern hanging in between. The floorboards creaked with every careful step, and if by chance you were to walk a little faster, it would bend inwards or snap completely.

The only reason the decrepit cabin had been chosen as a safe house was because of its obscure location and the powerful magic of the ancient trees surrounding it. That, and the fact that there was a large, empty basement underneath the cabin that served as a very sturdy shelter in case of attacks. And in the thick snow, it was barely discernible from its surroundings.

Rose sat at the window in her room and swiped her sleeve against the fogged glass. She peered outside and tried to see if she could make out anything in the haze of white that covered the woodland.

"Just by staring outside intensely and willing for them to appear, won't make it actually happen, you know."

Rose ignored Albus as he came to sit beside her. The bunk groaned and sank from the extra weight.

"Can't you repair this thing? I feel like it's in pain."

Rose shrugged a shoulder. The discomfort of the cabin – or anything else, for that matter – was the least of her concerns. She jumped when Albus laid his cold hand against her cheek and glowered at him. He was pink in the face from having just come inside and there were wet spots on his clothes where the snow had melted.

"Rosie, did you eat?"

When she only turned back to the window, Albus grabbed her shoulder and jerked her back so she was forced to look at him. Her eyes flashed and she pressed her lips together but didn't speak.

"Are you going to ignore me all day, again? Or will you at least give me monosyllable replies?"

Rose stared at him for a good long minute before grudgingly biting out a "No."

Albus sighed and ruffled his hair, spraying her with water. She shrieked from the icy droplets splattering against her warm skin and moved away. Albus gave her a look and raised his wand to his head, making Rose immediately stop him and take out her own.

"Let me."

She cast a Hot-Air Charm and a gush of hot air blasted out of the tip of her wand. The spell was something she had happened to read in a book in her third year and found that its function was exactly like that of a Muggle hairdryer, except without the controls. She moved her wand so she warmed the rest of him, and Albus stood up and spread his arms out, turning in a slow circle. A small smile spread across her lips as she watched the blissful expression on her cousin's face as he let the hot air warm away the cold. After a time, he cracked an eye open and regarded her mildly.

"Hasn't Scorpius ever told you that you look much better when you're smiling?"

Albus had said it in order to cheer her up, but the sound of _his_ name sent a jolt through Rose and her arm fell limply to her side, the still functioning charm blasting hot air at her feet. Albus stilled with his arms stretched out and after a moment, Rose flicked her wand and deactivated the spell – her feet had started to burn from the heat.

Albus shifted uncomfortable and finally came to kneel before her. He had a pained expression on his face and his mouth was down-turned in a guilty grimace. "Rosie," he said softly, reaching out and taking her small hands in his. She shivered at how cold his fingers were but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" he broke off abruptly and stifled a tired sigh.

She raised her eyes and offered him a small smile. "It's OK," she said and winced at how sore her voice sounded. He looked sadly at her for a moment and then pulled her down so her head rested against his shoulder. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck and sighed at the familiar warmth of the boy she had grown up with. He stroked her head slowly and gently and she felt a lump form in her throat and her eyes burned as tears prickled behind them. She sniffed noisily and he tightened his arms around her.

They stayed like that for what seemed like a long time—the only sound and movement was Albus's soft humming and the way his chest vibrated against her. She was half asleep, mellowed by the calming effect of his gentle humming and the feeling of warmth and protection, which was why she only vaguely registered the crack of someone – or several someones – Apparating just outside the cabin, and the sound of hurried footsteps back and forth as the adults went outside and brought whoever had just arrived, inside.

She was just reaching consciousness when the door to the room was flung open and a wide-eyed Ron stood breathing heavily at the door. He looked confused and distracted for a moment when he saw Albus and Rose, but they immediately got to their feet and were in front of him before he could so much as shift his weight from one foot to the other. Albus was the first to speak.

"Uncle? Who just Apparated? Is it dad?"

Ron nodded, his eyes flickering between the two of them and he said in a rush, "Harry and Malfoy just got back. And they—they found—"

"They found Scorpius?" Rose choked out and when her father didn't look at her, she felt the slight wave of hope immediately crushed down by despair. But her need to know was currently taking precedence over her need to curl up into a ball and cry, so she touched Ron's arm and asked gently, "Daddy, what is it? Who did they find?"

Ron swallowed thickly and his blue eyes turned dark as he finally looked at Rose and said in barely a whisper, "Narcissa Malfoy."

Rose and Albus glanced at each other and then opened their mouths to badger him with questions, but he held a hand up and looked over his shoulder and down the hallway, towards the entrance. There was some commotion and he simply motioned for them to follow as they trooped down to the larger of the three bedrooms.

Rose entered the packed room after Albus and stood as close to the door as she could, without standing outside the room, trying to catch a glimpse of Narcissa – who was lying on the bed – as Hermione, Astoria and Harry crowded around the bed, all talking in low voices.

Ron went up to his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder and Hermione looked up. Ron said something to her and her eyes flickered to Rose before she nodded and turned back to Narcissa. She then had a brief, hurriedly whispered conversation with Astoria and then shooed the men out of the room. She waved for Rose to shut the door and come closer.

"Sweetheart, come here and help me with her clothes."

Rose took a shaky breath and stepped forward, finally letting her eyes rest on Scorpius's grandmother.

The pictures in Malfoy Manor, Scorpius's descriptions, as well as the fact that she had married Lucius Malfoy, were more than enough for a person to ascertain what kind of woman Narcissa Malfoy was. She was a regal, elegant woman who was strict and firm and had the stern affection of a woman who had been to the pits of hell and back. She was always composed and regarded everyone with cool contempt and held herself with the demeanour of a self-righteous woman who knew her place in the world. She carried herself with the same elegance and grace as Astoria did, if not more, and her rare smiles were much like the rest of the family's – fleeting, yet heartfelt. At least, that was what Rose had deciphered from what little she knew about Narcissa Malfoy.

So when Rose saw the same woman lying before her in badly torn clothes, weakened to the extent of being unable to sit up by herself and looking frightened and confused as her wide eyes constantly jumped from one place to another—it made Rose's heart clench painfully and stirred within her the same anger that she had felt when she saw the way Scorpius sometimes behaved when he had been humiliated or harassed into submission.

"Rosie," Hermione urged and Rose nodded hastily, moving forwards to help support Narcissa as Hermione slowly cut what was left of her robes into long strips with her wand and peeled them off the older woman's shivering form.

"We should warm her up with a hot bath and clean her down before addressing any of her injuries," Hermione said to Astoria – who nodded meekly as she stood supporting most of Narcissa's weight and helped her sit.

"Can she make it to the bathroom?" Rose asked her mother softly and Hermione shook her head.

"It's too narrow a space for us to maneuver inside it. I think it would be a better idea to Transfigure the table into a tub and bathe her here."

Rose nodded and stepped back as Hermione moved to the table and concentrated on the complicated wand movements as she first Transfigured the wooden table into a large wooden bath tub and then turned the wood into ceramic. She paused for a moment to breathe and then pointing at the tub, murmured, "_Aqua Eructo_."

A gush of water spouted out of her wand and flowed into the tub, splashing around the edges. Once the tub was full, she boiled the water with a Heating Charm and then helped Astoria and Rose carry a shivering Narcissa and gently place her in the tub. As soon as the warm water engulfed her, Narcissa visibly relaxed and she sighed, letting her eyes close momentarily as she let the cold seep out of her.

"Mother, I shall be pouring some water over your hair so I may wash it," Astoria said softly to Narcissa and waited politely until the older woman opened her eyes and stared at her long enough to make her uncomfortable, before inclining her head slowly. Astoria released the breath she had been holding and Conjured a glass bowl with which she then began pouring water over Narcissa's hair. The older woman sighed and let Hermione and Astoria bathe her gently and wash her hair.

Meanwhile, Rose Transfigured the moth-eaten clothes into thick, dark robes like the ones Astoria always wore and a woollen shawl, gloves and socks. When Astoria and Hermione helped Narcissa out of the bath and helped her into the clothes, the older woman seemed to regard them momentarily, before allowing herself to be dressed. The mothers then helped Narcissa onto the bed again and Hermione said she would bring the soup and bread from the kitchen as Astoria Transfigured the towels into thick blankets and draped them around Narcissa.

Well over an hour later, once Narcissa had drunk two bowls of soup and eaten a large chunk of butter-bread, the men re-entered the room in order to ask her the most pressing questions that were on everybody's minds. Harry Conjured a simple wooden chair and pulled it to the bed, sitting down on it as he pulled out a thick wad of parchment from inside his robes.

"Mrs Malfoy—"

"Draco, come sit beside this mother of yours," Narcissa said, smoothly interrupting Harry like she hadn't even heard him. Harry blinked, not having expected that, and Draco only regarded his mother for a moment before doing as he was told. From the corner of her eye, Rose saw Astoria almost cowering beside the cupboard, and as though Narcissa had noticed, she tilted her head to Astoria and with a smile that barely even lifted the corners of her mouth, said softly, "Astoria, would you take away some of these blankets? It's awfully stifling in here."

Astoria immediately did as she was asked and when she began to move away, Narcissa looked at her like she was asking her where she was going instead of sitting down beside her. Satisfied with whatever she had intended for, Narcissa finally turned to look at Harry with the same almost-smile on her face.

"Yes, Mister Potter?" she asked politely, and from the rigid way in which her uncle was sitting, Rose knew he was controlling himself from bouncing his knee agitatedly or twirling his quill – impatient habits that he needed to concentrate on to not do. He regarded her with an unreadable expression before he spoke.

"Are you alright?"

If she was surprised, Narcissa did an extremely good job at hiding it, because both Astoria and Draco looked up sharply and realising that they had, rearranged their expressions into something milder. Narcissa leaned forwards slightly so the blankets slipped off her shoulders and showed her slight frame. "Yes, I am now, thank you for asking."

Harry nodded and then looked at his parchment before asking, "I'm going to get right to it, then, and ask you where your husband is."

Narcissa's features hardened ever so slightly and her eyes turned distant. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be here, now, would I?"

Harry paused for a moment before scribbling something down and then asked, "What about Scorpius?"

Rose stilled and caught her breath. She saw Albus do the same from the corner of her eye and everyone was looking at Narcissa expectantly. This time, though, the hardness melted away to be replaced by a sudden fragility and Narcissa sat staring at her hands for so long that Draco had to gently touch her and urge her to answer the question. Narcissa shook her head and looked at Draco with pleading eyes.

"I did not know about the necklace; you must believe me, Draco," she whispered and her voice trembled ever so slightly. Draco's expression softened and his grasp on his mother's arm tightened.

"That I know without you telling me, mother. Even if I didn't, as you pointed out before, the fact that you are here itself proves that you had nothing to do with it."

Narcissa was shaking her head again and she looked like she wasn't quite able to completely grasp all the recent events that had transpired. "He seemed awfully delighted for someone who was close to having a psychotic breakdown and I sensed something was wrong. When I questioned him, he simply looked at me in the same way he had all those years ago when he had placed Tom Riddle's diary in Ginny Weasley's cauldron—and I was certain that he had done something foolish. I persistently questioned him of what he had done, but he continued to dodge me until I had to force it out of him."

She shuddered at the memory and pulled the blankets closer around her.

"And what did he say, mother?" Draco urged when it looked like Narcissa had forgotten she was in the middle of relating something important. She nodded distractedly and continued.

"He said that he had given one of our ancestors' heirlooms to Scorpius for—for _safe keeping_, as he put it. I instantly realised the graveness of his act of foolishness and hastened to contact you and let you know of what he had done…" she trailed off, having gone back to shaking her head. Draco was starting to look furious and Narcissa must have sensed it, because she clutched her son's arms and said,

"Your father is ill, child. You mustn't hold his actions against him. He only thought what he was doing was right."

"Mother," Draco replied evenly – at least, as evenly as he could when he looked like he was about to spit fire – and said, "He almost killed me once, in his bout of madness, in case you have forgotten."

Narcissa stilled and drew back like she had been stung. She raised her chin high and said coldly, "How could I forget? I am the one who had to handle all the ramifications that followed suit."

"Then why is it that you still insist on remaining with him, mother?"

Harry cleared his throat to dispel the uncomfortably tense atmosphere that was starting to form around mother and son and Draco was the first to look away, causing Narcissa to regard Harry with contempt as he cleared his throat again and asked, "What happened after you tried to contact Mal—Draco, Mrs Malfoy?"

"Call me Narcissa," the older woman snapped, turning away from her son and placing her hands on her lap and looking as regal as only she could, wrapped in a pile of blankets and with her damp hair falling down her shoulders. "Astoria is more suitable for that title than I."

"Narcissa," Harry said indulgently, when the other didn't seem inclined to continue until her needs were met. Narcissa seemed to bristle at the tone of Harry's voice, but nevertheless, answered the question.

"Lucius knocked me out cold and then transferred me to the place where you both found me. When I came to, he was no longer there and he never returned. I did not know how long I had been unconscious or for how many days I was left there, nor could I leave, as he had taken my wand. Is that all you want to know?" she finished crisply, looking down her nose at Harry. He sighed and shook his head, his fingers already starting to twirl the abused looking quill in his hands.

"So you haven't the slightest clue of Scorpius's whereabouts?"

"I just said so, did I not?" Narcissa snapped and Draco turned to look at her sharply. She looked ruffled, but no less regal.

"And your husband's?"

Narcissa's eyes flashed in a way that may have implied her dislike at having someone refer to Lucius as her husband, and not with more respect, but she simply pressed her lips together and stared adamantly at Harry. Draco made a sound in his throat that was something between a groan and a frustrated sigh as he stood up and began pacing beside the bed.

"Mother, do you not have even the slightest idea as to where he might be? Did he not tell you about it or did you not hear of it by accident while he gloated to himself or the like?"

Narcissa looked thoroughly enraged with the way in which Draco was speaking of his father and her husband, but she only shot her son a withering glare before saying icily, "I am no Legilimens, and neither am I a psychic. So forgive me if I could not read your father's every move and action while I was locked up in a dingy cellar."

Draco hissed and pulled his shoulders together like he was an elastic that had just been snapped.

Even as Rose looked on, she had a growing feeling that Narcissa wasn't telling the whole truth and that there was something she was hiding. Draco and Harry must have thought as much, if their constant attempt to get Narcissa to try to remember something, implied so. Rose had a feeling that Narcissa was being honest about the fact that she didn't know Lucius's or Scorpius's whereabouts, but there was something about her affronted behaviour that suggested that she was being insistent on hiding something that might lead them to said whereabouts.

Was she so loyal to her husband that she refused to betray his location even at the cost of her grandson's life?

The longer Draco and Harry probed Narcissa, the more she seemed to withdraw. And after a certain comment about Lucius that Draco made in his irritation, she seemed to completely shut down and refused to even acknowledge Draco or Harry's questions. Beside her, Astoria seemed like she was doing her best to get Narcissa to open up, but the more desperate everyone got, the lesser the older woman seemed inclined to answer.

And then it suddenly hit Rose. A sudden thought struck her and it swelled inside her and coursed through her like electricity until she needed to get it out of her. She knew why Narcissa was being so uncooperative and if she could do something about it, she would. It may not work, but it was worth a try. Especially since they were running short on time and Scorpius's life was on the line.

But Narcissa knew that better than anyone.

"Mrs Malfoy—may I call you Narcissa?" Rose said, stepping forwards and talking over the adults. Everyone's eyes snapped to her and both her parents and Albus seemed ready to jump up and drag her away, but she stood her ground. She eased her face into as pleasant and natural a smile as she could muster and knelt down beside Narcissa's feet. She reached up and took hold of the older woman's hand. For a moment, it looked like Narcissa would strike her or push her away, but she only stared at Rose like she was an inconvenience that wouldn't go away until it did what it had come to do. So Rose took advantage of that.

"Ma'am," she started, since Narcissa hadn't given her permission to address her by her name. "I take it that Scorpius is unhurt?"

Narcissa narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Rose, as though she was trying to gauge what in the world this little girl wanted with her.

"I already told you that I do not know for certain—"

"But his grandfather wouldn't hurt him on purpose, would he?"

She made her voice sound innocent and genuinely curious and it seemed to work, because Narcissa's eyes widened and something about her cold, reserved demeanour changed. She regarded Rose for a long time – so long that Rose's knees were beginning to hurt and she could feel everyone's eyes boring into the back of her head – before finally inclining her head and giving her the same almost-smile. Except, this time, the corners of her eyes crinkled and Rose knew that Narcissa at least found her amusing enough to indulge her—which worked perfectly fine for Rose if it meant gaining information on Scorpius's whereabouts.

"Yes, I should think so," Narcissa answered smoothly and Rose nodded, her heart beating hard in her chest.

"Then, I suppose our only concern is whether they are in a place where they have enough food and warmth so they do not succumb to illness."

If Narcissa had figured out what angle Rose was playing, she was making no sign of it, and Rose waited with bated breath until Narcissa finally flashed her teeth and said slowly, "Yes, of course. Lucius would know better than to take Scorpius somewhere where his condition would worsen."

Rose felt tears prickle her eyes as she smiled genuinely at the woman in front of her and whispered, "Thank you ma'am."

* * *

**A/n: Yes, cliffie, I know and I am sorry but I had to break it because it was already too long. No worries, I shall update the next chapter sooner than later!**

**Lots and lots and lots of love to all you wonderful people and thank you for sticking around with me for so long!**

**Y'all are the bestest :')**

**Leave your thoughts and reviews so I can be happy for a long long time! :'D**


	29. Scorpius's Return

**Chapter 29**

**Scorpius's Return**

* * *

Rose stood after excusing herself and quietly exited the room after motioning for Harry to follow her. She walked straight to the window in the sitting room and stood staring outside until everyone was there. She finally turned around and spoke to Draco first.

"Mister Malfoy, is there some place that Lucius could go to that fit Mrs Malfoy's description?"

Draco frowned at Rose and said, "There are several places—"

Rose shook her head and cut in hurriedly, desperate to get the others to see where she was coming from, "No, not any ordinary place. Some place that he is sure would behave as a safe house of sorts if he ever needed to use it."

Draco stared at Rose for so long, she thought he hadn't understood what she was saying, but his eyes finally widened with realisation. "Yes," he breathed, leaning forwards to clutch the edge of the worn-out couch, seemingly without realising that he was doing it. He was staring at Rose with shining eyes and Rose could quite literally see the gears clicking in place in his mind.

"Alright, do you think it's about time you explain to the rest of us this little dawn of comprehension of yours, or are we to continue standing here looking like idiots?"

Harry looked more frustrated than Rose had seen him in a long time, and she said, "Well it's because of what Mrs Malfoy said—"

"How did you know to get her to divulge the very information she was adamant on not letting us know?"

Rose glanced at Draco and then at her uncle and said, "Because of how she was behaving. The more all of you probed and prodded her, the less inclined she seemed to tell you what she knew."

When nobody looked any closer to understanding what she was saying, she tugged on her hair impatiently and said, "I understood it because I had done the exact same thing so many times without realising it. She was taking you all to be on the other side of her instead of on the same side, because you kept insisting that Lucius was the enemy and Scorpius's life was in danger—she probably unconsciously began to start defending her husband instead of helping you.

"So I played towards that. I made a statement that didn't accuse him in any way or of anything you were all accusing him off. I agreed with her belief that Lucius was not the bad person in this entire situation by saying that he would not hurt his own grandson. That made her trust me enough to let her guard down and so when I said that I hope they are both unhurt, she revealed what she didn't know she had been hiding: the fact that Lucius would have the sense to be hiding out in some place dry and habitable enough to make sure Scorpius's condition doesn't worsen."

She had said everything hurriedly, desperate to let them in on the idea she had gotten, and from the way they were staring at her, she wasn't sure whether they had understood it or not. Harry shook his head slightly and Rose was starting to get a sinking feeling, but he strode over to her, pulled her against him in a hug and then kissed her head. He grinned down at her confusion and said, "You are indeed your mother's daughter, Rosie."

He then turned away from his beaming niece to an excited looking Draco—who was scribbling something down on a piece of parchment he had Conjured. He waved it in the air and said, "These are a few properties owned by the Malfoys that fit Miss Weasley's description. Can we check them all?"

Harry took a look at the list of names and nodded. "I'll dispatch groups of Aurors to each location. Which one do you think he's most likely to be at?"

Draco studied the list for a moment before tapping it and saying thoughtfully, "This might be the one… although I can't be sure…"

Harry clapped him on the arm – which made Draco cringe and move away – and said, "You know him best. Even a hunch is worthwhile in a situation as this. Then we'll go check out this location first," he added, taking the parchment from Draco. The latter looked up at that, apparently surprised that Harry had readily included him in on whatever he was about to do, and Harry grinned at him.

"You said it before, didn't you? He's your son, after all."

Draco seemed to grow taller than he was, raising his chin superiorly and beaming. When the two turned to the door, Ron stepped up and looked at Harry with blazing eyes. "Let me come."

Draco didn't seem at all inclined to accept the offer, but Harry simply regarded his best mate's intense expression for a moment and then nodding, clapped Ron on the shoulder. Draco looked like he had quite a few things he wanted to say about Ron tagging along, but Harry didn't give him the chance.

"Ron is as good an Auror as any – if not better. You, of all people, should know that, Malfoy."

From the tone of his voice, it was obvious that Harry was telling Draco that his displeasure with Ron shouldn't come in the way of Scorpius's rescue – which took precedence over everything. Draco nodded stiffly and the men made towards the door, stopping at the room Narcissa was in to brief Astoria and Hermione about what they were about to do.

Everyone followed the men out to the Apparition point and watched as Harry gave instructions to his wrist-watch – Ron paying close attention – and then with a crack, they Disapparated.

Rose shivered violently as the cold air nipped at her skin and she watched the cloud her breath made as she breathed out. In all the excitement, they had all stepped out without anything warm on and she was wondering if Summoning her coat wandlessly would do any good. As though reading her mind, she felt something warm envelop her and she looked up to see Astoria place Rose's coat over her shoulders with a smile. Rose smiled back and pulled the coat tightly around her, pressing her hands to her side to keep them warm. Astoria suddenly reached for Rose's hand and she looked down, surprised, only to hear the older woman whisper,

"Thank you."

Rose looked up at her and Astoria smiled and squeezed her fingers. "It seems that I may never be able to stop thanking you."

She laughed lightly but Rose swallowed the newly formed lump in her throat. It meant a lot to her to hear Astoria say that.

"You don't really have to thank me, since I'm only doing it for selfish reasons," Rose said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. Astoria laughed merrily and touched Rose's cheek.

"Hearing you say that makes it all the more necessary for me to express my gratitude."

Seeming to have noticed that she was making the situation unbearably awkward for Rose, she inclined her head and moved back inside the cabin. Hermione came up to Rose and hugged her briefly before smiling and saying, "That was very nice of you, Rosie."

Rose flushed and ducked her head. "I was only saying the truth."

"And that's what made it all the nicer," Hermione replied, kissing her daughter's hair. "Come inside soon. You haven't eaten anything since last night and I won't have any more of it."

She gave Rose a stern look, but her eyes were shining. Rose wanted to say she wasn't hungry, but she was, if her growling stomach was any indication, so she decided she would stay out for just a while longer before going in. Albus came up to her and stomped his feet, shaking his hands and pulling his jacket around it.

"It's insanely chilly out here, isn't it?" he asked through chattering teeth and Rose laughed. She felt more relieved now that she knew she would see Scorpius very soon and if Narcissa was speaking the truth - and not simply out of her loyalty for her husband — then maybe he wouldn't be as bad as she had feared he would be.

"He'll be fine," Albus reassured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her against him. "Lend me some body heat, will you?"

"Go inside if you're feeling so cold," Rose chided, but smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.

She would see Scorpius again. Soon. Very soon. Just that thought brought her back to life and when her stomach rumbled loudly, they made their way back inside, Rose, deciding that she may even take a small nap since she hadn't slept well at all since the whole ordeal with the cursed necklace.

* * *

She awoke with a start and didn't know why she had done so until she looked up into frantic emerald eyes. Her heart beating faster, she immediately began to pull out of the lull of sleep as she sat up hurriedly.

"Al? What's wrong? Did something happen? Have you heard from either of our dads?"

Albus was quite literally trembling from head to toe and continued to fidget until Rose patted the bed next to him and he sat down. She gave him a moment to calm down as she slapped her cheeks and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She tugged her hair into a braid down one side as she glanced out the window and saw that it was already dusk. That made it over thirty-five hours since Scorpius had disappeared. The pit in her stomach began to grow and she immediately quelled the feeling. Scorpius would be home soon. Her uncle and dad and his dad had gone to get him. There were Aurors to take care of Lucius. Everything would be fine.

"Dad's Patronus just arrived ten minutes ago."

Rose snapped her full attention to Albus as her cousin began to speak, bouncing a knee and wringing his hands as he stared at the floor.

"What was the message?" Rose prompted and Albus shook his head. He looked up at Rose with the same frantic wide eyes and Rose realised, with some shock, that it was excitement in them and not fear.

"They found him, Rosie," he breathed, his warm breath making her cheeks tingle. She felt her heart jolt and soar and she had a sudden urge to stand up and jump on the spot.

"Where—"

"The place Mister Malfoy chose. He was right. Lucius was there."

"Wait, if Uncle Harry sent a Patronus, then—"

Albus nodded excitedly. "They were able to rescue him. Dad's message was very brief and only said that they'd got Scorpius and would head back after taking care of Lucius."

"What about the curse?" Rose asked breathlessly, already feeling like her nerves were being stretched to their limit. Albus shook his head, his voice strained from suppressed excitement.

"He didn't say. He only said that Scorpius was OK, but I'm sure they've found a way to break it—"

"Yeah, I'm sure—"

"Rosie, he's coming home—"

"He's OK—"

And the two exclaimed in joy and hugged each other, Rose, laughing through her tears. The weight in her heart hadn't disappeared yet. It wouldn't disappear until she saw for herself that Scorpius was alive and well, but maybe even then it wouldn't completely disappear, only shrink. She remembered something Scorpius had said about bad luck following him everywhere and she couldn't help but think that that was probably true whether she wanted to accept it or not. And if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, then she would have to be willing to take the risks that came with it.

Her insides jolted at her nonchalant admission that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Scorpius and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her emotions were all over the place and she knew that she wouldn't – couldn't – calm down until she was face to face with him. She couldn't wait to see him. It felt like weeks had passed since they had last spoken, and the last memory of them together left a bad taste in her mouth. She only hoped that he didn't remember it, or else he would probably shut her away from the fear that he would hurt her again. It made her happy that he cared about her enough to consider being away from her as a solution, but she was sure as hell not letting it happen.

'_Not on my watch'_ she thought as she and Albus sat talking excitedly until Scorpius arrived.

* * *

Although they knew he was going to arrive any moment, they couldn't stop the restless fidgeting or the palpable nervousness that surrounded them as they paced up and down the cabin. Rose was close to driving herself mad, when there were the sharp cracks of Apparition outside and she all but ran to the door – only to be held back by Hermione.

"Rosie, please, you must understand that the situation is unclear so please wait inside until one of us comes to call you."

Rose immediately began to protest but Hermione only glanced toward Astoria and Rose followed her gaze to see that the other woman was in quite a state herself.

She had been separated from her son under the worst circumstances and hadn't known whether he was dead or alive until a little while ago. Rose really had to commend her on her self-control and will power to not simply have broken down instead of pacing her emotions. So she stepped back obediently and just as she entered her room, she saw Narcissa exit hers out of the corner of her eye. The older woman paused and glanced towards Rose as though unsure of what to do, and Rose gave her a reassuring smile.

Loyal to her husband or not, Narcissa had helped them find Scorpius and she was still his grandmother. Family always came first, and Rose felt slightly bitter that it was something that had been instilled in her ever since she was a child and she was only just finding it to be unfair. Albus broke her out of her thoughts by appearing at the door and shutting it behind him. He looked just as agitated as she felt and she knew that it must have taken great restraint to not disobey Hermione and do as she had told him to.

Everything said and done, Rose had more of a duty to obey her mother than Albus did, although the difference was barely enough to claim so.

It felt like forever, as she sat there waiting for someone to tell her she could see him. Albus had resumed pacing quite fervently and it was driving her mad, but she knew that was the only thing keeping him from rushing out of the room to his best mate, so she left him be, instead, deciding to concentrate on the Paper Mache doll she was trying to create unsuccessfully.

Almost twenty minutes later, Hermione opened the door to the room and before it was pulled back more than a crack, Albus had lurched it open and launched himself across the hall. Rose followed after him without so much as glancing at the bewildered expression on her mother's face. Heart in mouth, she slowly stepped into the room Narcissa had been taken to, and her heart nearly fell out at the sight of Scorpius.

He didn't look all that badly injured, to be honest—his clothes and hair were tousled and disheveled, he was barefoot, he had several medicine patches plastered all over him, and he looked thoroughly exhausted and barely conscious, but he didn't seem to have sustained any life threatening injuries. Or at least even if he had, they probably had been taken care of before she and Albus were let in to see him.

He got shakily to his feet as Albus neared him and crushed him in a bear hug, thumping him soundly on the back even as the adults protested. Albus finally pulled away and laughed breathlessly, his eyes shining.

"You look terrible, mate," he said jovially and Scorpius seemed to have enough energy to reply sarcastically,

"Yes, tell the fellow who'd been kidnapped that he looks like hell."

Albus grinned and Scorpius returned it, clapping him on the shoulder.

And then his eyes looked past Albus and everyone else in the room and landed on Rose. She felt her heart stop as she stared into his dark grey eyes and she began to panic, wondering if he really would shut her out. But her momentary worry was only that, as Scorpius stretched his arms out and Rose all but catapulted herself into them with a cry of relief. He used her momentum to pick her off the ground and she clung to him, breathing in his scent and letting her mind re-learn the feel of him against her. He put her down abruptly and wavered, suddenly looking faint, and she wrapped her arms around his waist to steady him. He stared into her eyes for so long and then swallowed, suddenly looking vulnerable and weak.

"Rose," he breathed and caressed her face, pressing his forehead to hers. His eyes fluttered shut and he breathed deeply, as though trying to convince himself that she was real. And he probably was. She hadn't the slightest idea what kind of hallucinations he had seen under the effects of the curse and if they were just as bad as – or worse than – the nightmare he had had.

"Thank God," she choked, tears spilling down her cheeks. Now that he was finally there, in her arms, her relief was so profound that it was making her weak in the knees. "Thank God," she cried again and Scorpius wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, resting his head on her shoulder. She sobbed into his broad, warm chest and she felt him shake and heard him swallow thickly beside her ear.

She had only seen Scorpius cry once before, and that had been because of her, and she didn't want anyone else to see him cry when his tears were meant for her. It was stupid and childishly selfish, she knew, but at that moment, she wanted Scorpius all to herself and didn't care that both their families were watching them. She would have felt uncomfortable or aware of their probing gazes, but just then, she was so overcome that that was the least of her concerns.

She raised Scorpius's head and swiped her fingers across his cheeks to wipe away the tears. He smiled gratefully at her and she breathed slightly before saying softly, "Welcome home, Scorpius."

The safe house was probably the one place that was farthest from home, and would only remind them of their worst memories later on, but just then, to her, it was home. Feeling Scorpius's warmth envelop her was as good as feeling at home. And she knew he felt the same way, because his eyes were glittering with warmth and he nuzzled his nose gently against hers as he replied just as softly, "Yeah… I'm home."

She wanted to kiss him soundly then and from the way his eyes dropped to her mouth with a yearning gaze, she knew he did too, but she could feel the eyes on her like thorns prickling at her skin and she pulled away slightly, giving him a regretful smile. He smiled lopsidedly back at her and ran a hand through his hair. She moved to stand to his side, but he must have thought that she was moving away from him, because he grabbed her hand and pulled her against his side, intertwining his fingers with hers as he flopped down on the bed tiredly. She sat down beside him and rubbed his arm gently with her free hand.

"How are you?"

It was a stupid and extremely obvious question, but she had to know. He looked down at her and smiled that dazzling, billion-Galleon smile of his that made her melt all over, and her heart flutter like crazy, and her stomach feel like it was full of butterflies.

"Much better now," he replied and her breath caught at the implication of what he meant.

She hadn't even known it was humanly possible to love someone so much. To feel her love only expand and overflow every moment she spent with him. She never knew that one single person could be able to feel that much love for someone else. She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back the tears threatening to spill down her face and tried to convey to him the depth of her feelings for him. She didn't know if she had, or if he had understood, until he squeezed her hand and looked at her with a soft, tender expression in his eyes.

His silver eyes were always a source of amazement for her because of the depth of emotion they could convey. She'd seen them turn steel-grey like shards of ice when he was putting a wall between himself and her, she'd seen them turn dark and molten like those of a predator when he wanted her, she'd seen them turn metallic and hard like rumbling thunderclouds when he was angry, she'd seen them glitter and shimmer like liquid silver when he was happy or excited, she'd seen them turn smooth and velvety like silk when he was feeling smug or contemptuous.

She'd probably seen all the shades of silver and grey there were to see – except for the one she saw just then. His eyes were so soft and tender, like the soft shine of a gentle charcoal drawing on smooth parchment. They were so warm and sensitive and caring and gentle and kind and vulnerable and literally the window to his soul, that it overwhelmed her all over again. He trusted her enough to let her see such a fragile side of him and she couldn't feel anything less than immense love and gratitude towards him.

She sniffed and chuckled lightly when he looked concerned. He eyed her with amusement before chuckling airily himself. He covered her hand that was running up and down his arm with his palm and shook his head slightly at her. "Thank you," he breathed, so softly that she barely heard it.

She didn't understand why him and his parents seemed to find the need to thank her repeatedly when she did absolutely nothing to deserve the gratitude. She simply shook her head and looked past him at Albus – who was looking at them with a dazed smile on his face. He seemed to be lost in thought and had not realised that he was smiling, because when their eyes met, he looked at her curiously and then came towards them. Immediately, both Rose and Scorpius raised the hands that weren't clasped, out to him, and Albus took them as he knelt down in between them.

"This feels like we're a family praying before eating." he laughed and Scorpius's eyes twinkled as he immediately replied,

"And you are the bratty son who doesn't think thanks is needed."

Albus's mouth fell open and he said, "That would be you! The stoic father who thinks he's too great to be praying to the likes of some God!"

Rose threw her head back and laughed and both boys looked at her with beaming grins.

"Rosie's definitely the devoted wife who dotes on her family too much," Albus said and Rose jostled their clasped hands with a "Hey!"

"Definitely. And then she'll forget she's left the stove on while she tries to send us on our way and sets the house on fire," Scorpius said, shaking uncontrollably.

Rose glowered at him and with some effort separated her hand from his, but he pulled her to him by the shoulder and kissed her head. She stayed there, laughing, with the two boys who meant the world to her. And when she looked up, it was to the sight of smiling faces and tear-filled eyes (just Hermione and Astoria). She heard her mother lean towards Harry and say,

"Don't they look so much like we did back in the day?"

Harry laughed and placed an arm around her waist as he teased, "You sound like an old lady, 'Mione."

She huffed and they turned to look at Ron, who only shrugged and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Ronald!" Hermione admonished and he held his hands up.

"Alright, alright, they look like us, Merlin."

Hermione came around to stand between the two of them, with their arms around each other, and Rose could swear that was the happiest she'd seen her parents and uncle in a very long time.

Scorpius was back and the three of them were together and all was right with the world.

* * *

**A/n: HE'S FINALLY BACK YOU GUYS! -gross sobbing- I actually teared up a little to be honest :')**

**Somehow I'm not very satisfied with this chapter because it's sort of jumbled and all over the place, but I didn't want to rewrite it [it's also 2 AM, so..] so I decided to leave it be.**

**Thoughts on Scorpius's return and the double Golden Trio moment? :D**


	30. Recurring Nightmares

**Chapter 30**

**Recurring Nightmares**

* * *

When she awoke with a start, she didn't know why and she looked around, disoriented and dazed. From the darkness in the room, she knew it was still night out, so she wasn't sure what had woken her. She lay back and breathed deeply, disconcerted by the nagging feeling in her gut that something wasn't right. Her eyes were fluttering shut and her mind was slowly easing back under the veil of sleep, when the reason for her waking up became all too clear.

A bloodcurdling scream that sounded much too like Scorpius's shattered the quiet of the night.

She jerked upright with such force that she rammed the top of her head against the sloped roof of the cabin and she looked to the side to see that both Hermione and Astoria had been startled awake and they looked around in confusion. Her heart pounding, she pulled the thick blanket off of her and began to ease down the ladder when Scorpius's pained scream echoed through the cabin again.

Heart in mouth, they all but ran out of the room and to Scorpius's, their thundering footsteps and the loud groaning of the floor muffled by his piercing screams. They paused momentarily at the door to see that the men were already there; Albus sitting on top of Scorpius and pinning him down, Draco standing by his son's head and holding it still as Scorpius thrashed and writhed, and Harry kneeling beside him, trying to keep him from hurting himself.

Ron strode up to the women and said in a completely panicked and desperate voice, "We don't know what happened. He seems to be having a nightmare. We were sure all the remnants of the curse were taken off him."

Astoria was instantly by her husband's side and crooning to her son in a soothing voice as she stroked his sweat slicked hair. It seemed to have an immediate but very slight effect, as Scorpius's screams turned to frightened whimpers and wails, but he continued to struggle and strain against being held down. Hermione and Ron were standing aside and discussing in hurried voices and Narcissa was standing slightly behind Harry, looking like someone was stabbing her repeatedly in the stomach.

Scorpius suddenly jerked and was still for a moment, his breathing ragged and his skin pale and sickly looking. His lips were moving as though he was talking to whoever it was he saw in his nightmare and Rose edged closer, desperate to know who was causing him so much pain. And then he began straining against Albus and Draco's holds and tears streamed from the corner of his eyes as he began pleading in a louder voice, as though whoever it was going away from him.

"No, please! Don't hurt her! She'll die… you'll kill her! Please!"

Rose's chest constricted so tightly that she couldn't breathe. She wanted to vomit but it was like her insides were being crushed together like someone was trying to turn her inside out. Albus's head shot up and he locked eyes with her, his head shaking.

"No! Stop it, please! Don't kill her!"

She slapped her hands to her mouth in a desperate attempt to muffle her sob-like-scream and when Scorpius opened his eyes shouting "_NO!"_ and lurched upwards with his arms raised, like he was going to strangle Albus, Rose rushed to his side and pushed in between Harry's and Draco's arms to straddle him and place both her hands on either side of his face.

"_Scorpius!" _she shouted, and everyone – including Scorpius – froze and stared at her. Then he slowly began to shake his head and she had to strengthen her hold on him to make him stop. He hadn't ceased in his pleading and begging as he muttered under his breath, his eyes wild and crazed, like he was looking at her but not seeing her.

An angry scream caught in her throat and came out sounding like a strangled gurgle as she shook him and slapped her hands against his face. It was like he was under a trance and refused to wake up. When his pleading escalated, she hit him so hard that his head snapped to the side. She vaguely registered Astoria's startled gasp but she couldn't see or hear anything but the person in front of her. She gently pulled his face back to look at her.

"Scorpius, please wake up," she choked, stroking her thumbs against his cheeks with what would normally have been unnecessary force. Scorpius's eyes flickered with mild recognition and he frowned, reaching out to her slowly.

"Rose?" he rasped and she nodded fervently.

"Yes! Yes, it's me. I'm right here!"

But his frown deepened and he looked suspiciously at her as though she was the one trying to deceive him and his hand dropped against the bed with a dull thud as he began shaking his head again.

"No, no, you're not real… again, you'll come again and then—and then you won't—you're not—"

He looked so desperate to believe that she was real but so desperate to believe that she was an illusion at the same time that he looked like he was being ripped into half from the inside out and it was tearing her apart.

"Scorpius," she whispered, her voice thick with tears and her throat so constricted that it was an endeavor to even be able to produce a sound louder than a gasp for breath. "Scorpius, listen to me. I'm real. I'm here. You're not under the curse anymore. Nobody is trying to hurt me. Are you listening to me? Scorpius!"

He stared at her with a strangled expression and finally choked, "Not under... the curse?"

Rose nodded vehemently. "That's right. That's right, it's all over now. Nobody's going to hurt me now, I promise."

He raised a trembling hand and wrapped it around the side of her face and squeezed so hard that she felt like he would dislocate her jaw. "You're real? You won't die?"

"I'm real. I'm real, Scorpius and I'm not going to die."

He looked as though he didn't believe her for a moment, and her heart started to beat faster, but then he asked in a small voice, "Promise?" and she felt like she was standing under the torrent of an overflowing waterfall; the weight of the water bearing down on her and threatening to submerge her if she wavered so much as a millimeter.

"I promise," she whispered and he shuddered and shook and she cradled his head against her chest and stroked his hair as she gently rocked back and forth.

"Hush, love, it's all right now. Everything's going to be alright now."

He was gasping and trembling and holding onto her so tightly like he was afraid that if he loosened his grip by even the slightest, either one, or both of them would tumble down head first into a bottomless abyss of darkness to never resurface again.

She swallowed thickly through her soft words and gentle caresses and when he sighed and relaxed against her, she shook with suppressed sobs and tried to keep them in and somehow breathe at the same time. Someone placed a warm hand on her head and she looked up to see Albus standing over her with an equally pained expression on his face. He opened his mouth, making to say something, and unable to do so, swallowed thickly before choking out, "Your mum says we should give him a half and half of the Potion for Dreamless Sleep and the Sleeping Draught. Do you think you can get him to drink it?"

Rose nodded. "I can try."

Hermione came to stand beside Albus, pale and looking thoroughly harassed, and handed her one of the two tumblers full of shining purple liquid. Rose pulled back slowly and gently eased Scorpius's head off her shoulder, mildly shocked at how wet her shoulder was.

"Scorpius? Would you want to drink this? It'll make you feel better."

He looked at the tumbler as though he couldn't see it, his eyes hooded and red and his face slack and lifeless. He inclined his head ever so slightly and she wouldn't have caught it if she hadn't felt his hair move against her face. She placed the tumbler to his mouth and slowly tipped both it and his head back, waiting to see his throat bob to show that he'd swallowed it.

Once she saw the confirming bob, Hermione immediately replaced the tumbler in her hand with the other one, and she easily coaxed him to swallow that as well, seeing how he was barely hanging onto consciousness. Once it was done, Albus helped her ease him back onto the bed and he just lay there limply, with his head hanging to the side and looking past them with unseeing, glassy eyes. Barely a minute passed before his eyes eased shut and his breathing evened out. Albus helped Rose off him and caught her when her legs couldn't hold her up.

She trembled and he clutched her against his chest, almost carrying her full weight since her knees felt too weak to support her own body. He helped her to the floor and sat beside her, both of them staring at some spot on the ground.

She could hear Astoria sobbing quietly at the head of Scorpius's bed as Draco spoke soft, soothing words to her and Hermione was helping Narcissa into the chair Harry had Conjured while interrogating her, and handed her a glass of water. From the corner of her eye she could see that all of them were completely shaken up and just as bewildered towards Scorpius's unexpected nightmare.

There was a clatter as Harry Transfigured the bathtub into a long bench and both he and Ron fell back onto it, looking thoroughly exhausted. Harry finally looked up and directed his question to his son.

"The way the two of you handled him… this has happened before?"

Albus nodded mutely, still staring at the floor. When he didn't look like he was in any mood to speak or even look at his father, Rose decided that she may as well do it, seeing how this had to be at least the second time Albus had to hold Scorpius down during a nightmare.

"It happened just before the curse on the necklace redid itself to its original form."

Her voice sounded flat and unlike her own, even to herself. It was like a disembodied voice that originated from somewhere within her but didn't belong to her.

Harry rubbed his face tiredly and asked, "And that time was the same as this?"

Rose shook her head. "I wasn't there when it happened—"

"This one was worse."

All eyes focused on Albus as he spoke in much the same tone of voice as Rose.

"The first time it happened was—well, the first time it happened, so it was far less—" he gestured vaguely, still staring unseeingly at the corner where the far wall met the floor.

"What was different this time than the previous time?"

Albus frowned and Hermione was the one who answered.

"Harry please, they've just been through a lot. Can't this wait?"

"Not if we want to figure out why he's still getting nightmares even after the curse was taken off," Harry snapped, still looking at his son.

"It might—it might not even be the curse," Rose said, so quietly that she was sure no one had heard. But apparently they had, because even Albus finally tore his eyes away from the floor to focus them on her.

She shrugged uncomfortably and said in a slightly louder voice, "It's common for victims of powerful curses to experience post traumatic stress," she told her hands.

Hermione made an agreeing sound and moved to touch Rose, but she unconsciously withdrew from her mother's touch. She shook her head and said in a strangled voice, "None of us know what he had to undergo when he was under the effects of the curse."

"But they had more – if not everything – to do with you, than anyone or anything else, yes?"

If she had had the energy to move her neck so she could look up at Draco with anger, she would have. But considering that she neither had the energy nor the will to do so, she simple stared straight ahead and nodded once. She heard Ron shift in place on the bench and wanted to shout at him to not unnecessarily pick a fight with Draco now of all times. But contrary to her expectations, his question was directed at her than the latter.

"So then his nightmares are about you—dying?"

She grimaced at the unwanted images that brought on and she felt Albus reach out to hold her hand – which she gratefully let him do.

"Not as much dying as getting killed," her cousin snapped, glaring at his uncle. Ron made a face and leaned back, looking like he was going to be sick.

"By whom?"

This time it was Narcissa and Rose had to bite down the urge to snap at her. She didn't have the energy to deal with them and if they decided to take turns to interrogate her and Albus, then so be it.

"I am not a Legilimens, am I," Albus snarled angrily and Narcissa immediately blanched at the use of her own words against her.

"Al," Hermione said gently and Albus made a frustrated sound as he shoved a hand through his hair.

"We don't know," Rose said in a low voice, "but the first time, it was Lucius."

And that shut Narcissa up, as she pressed her lips together and took on a martyr-like demeanour. If she felt it was her fault that all this had happened, then let her feel that way, because Rose desperately needed someone to blame who wasn't being held in custody by a group of Aurors.

"He must have seen her die over and over again," Astoria said from somewhere far away and Rose wanted to sigh and tell everyone to stop talking about her dying as though she wasn't sitting right there.

"That's why it was so hard for him to accept that she was real."

Harry.

"That's why he seemed so torn apart as to whether to believe her or not."

Hermione.

"Merlin knows how many times he had to relive those god-awful nightmares."

Ron. And he even sounded remorseful.

"I can't believe that man would torture his own grandson in such a—a barbaric manner."

Draco.

"I think the more pressing matter is that he would torture his own flesh and blood at all, not considering the manner in which it was done."

Narcissa. And her anger and betrayal-filled statement effectively shut them all up for a time.

"I think this would be better handled after reasonable hours' worth of rest."

Hermione. Thank god she was the sensible one.

"Seconded."

Harry. His Auror curiosity must only go so far.

"Well, off we go then."

Ron. Her father somehow always seemed to need to get the last word in.

There was some shuffling and scraping as everyone began to stretch and begin filing out of the room. Someone helped her up from the side Albus wasn't sitting at and then, instead of leading her to the door, led her towards where Astoria was tucking Scorpius under the blankets she had Conjured for Narcissa. Rose stared at the peaceful expression on Scorpius's face and suddenly felt an overwhelming need to have him cradle her to his chest and let her sob into his shoulder.

She blinked back tears as Astoria caressed her son's face and laid a feather light kiss on his forehead. Whoever was supporting her helped her forwards and she reached over to touch his cheek gently. She sniffed and breathed out a shaky sigh. It was unnerving how unmoving Scorpius was, except for the feel of the warm breath against her skin and the rise and fall of his chest under the blankets. The only indicators that he was alive.

"Sleep tight," she whispered and brushed her lips against his. She felt the immense need to lie down next to him and fall asleep with her arms around him, but she knew that wouldn't be a decent request for a sixteen-year-old girl to make, especially since Scorpius wouldn't even know she was there beside him.

She sniffed again and turned away, swaying and shuffling towards the door slowly. Exhaustion was creeping through her every muscle and seeping into her very bones. Her vision was swimming and it was a miracle that she made it to her bed upright. She collapsed on – she belatedly realised it was Astoria's – the bunk and fell under the spell of sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

**A/n: Well, considering this was written months ago, I can make a guess that I was particularly distressed about something to write such an angsty chapter. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think.**

**Also, there are only ten more chapter of this story to go and I will probably slow down my updates just because I don't want it to end. This story is very sentimental for me because it's my first Harry Potter story and opened the doors to a whole new world that I am now thriving in, so I'll probably procrastinate a whole lot about updating. Don't hate me too much.**

**Lots of love~**


	31. One's Deepest Fears

**Chapter 31**

**One's Deepest Fears Are Their Darkest Nightmares**

* * *

When rose woke up this time, it was to the uncomfortable feeling of an empty stomach and the sounds of hunger. She sighed as she stared up at the bottom of the top bunk, belatedly wondering if Astoria slept well in her bunk.

Probably not. And it might have had little to do with the bunk.

She had been so physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted by everything that happened that her mind hadn't even had the energy to cause nightmares that startled her awake. Her stomach rumbled again but that didn't seem like impetus enough to move as yet.

She continued to stare at the bunk above her for so long, the feeling that there was something different about it seemed to be more of a vexing problem than anything else should have been. She frowned at her inability to find the problem immediately and pressed her palms down on the mattress, willing herself to find what it was that was nagging at the back of her brain.

And she realised with a start that the mattress she was lying on was more firm and springy than the hard, coir mattress that it had originally been. Curiosity being more of a driving force than anything, she rolled over and sat on the bed, making a sound of surprise when the entire bunk didn't shudder and groan like it was in pain. She bounced up and down and smiled lightly at the pleasant sound of the creaking of sturdy wood.

She stood up and turned in a slow circle, taking in the new changes to the room.

Both the bunk beds had been redone so the chipping, weak old wood was now gleaming new wood complete with metal accents and cushioning charms on the roof so the people on the top bunks didn't knock their heads as she had before. The floor was completely covered with a soft carpet that sunk under her feet as she walked, and there were now three lamps in the room; two on opposite walls and one lampshade on the remade wardrobe that cast tiny floral designs on the wall behind. She walked out of the room, pleased by how the door opened smoothly and padded her way to the sitting room, making sure to put extra pressure in her steps just to feel the sturdy floorboards under her feet.

When she entered the sitting room, she had to pause for a moment in order to properly appreciate the renovations that had taken place during the time she had been asleep.

The worn-out sofa, whose stuffing was more outside than inside, had been replaced by two sleek, leather ones. The rickety armchairs had been turned into stylish reclining ones – they reminded her of the one Scorpius had been bound to - and in between them was a glass-top table with intricately done wooden legs, below which was the same kind of carpet that was in her room. On top of the table – stunning her speechless – was a beautiful vase made from coloured glass holding three breathtaking white roses.

The kitchen area had been redone as well, with added cupboards now stocked with food, a large, clean sink full of unwashed utensils, a sophisticated looking stove and a counter top laden with food.

"Good afternoon, sunshine," Ron said cheerily, but there was barely anything cheery about his tired smile or the bags under his eyes. She smiled and greeted her father nonetheless and took the mug of steaming tea Albus handed to her.

He raised his mug as though toasting her and said, "It took me a good two minutes to take in everything when I arrived ten minutes ago," offering her a reassuring smile - that was at least more reassuring than Ron's, considering how exhausted they both looked. "Did you see the fire place?"

"The fire place?" she asked with raised eyebrows as she moved around the table to spot the quaint installation that had been placed in the wall exactly in between the two windows.

From behind her Ron said in an annoyed voice, "Malfoy decided that there was no point having a winter cabin without a fire place, giant prat that he is."

"Ronald!" came Hermione's scolding voice from where she was laying down the last dish full of food and then motioned towards it. "Lunch is now served and I know the two of you are starving, so feel free to help yourselves."

Both Rose and Albus immediately made their way towards the food, filling their plates with as much as they could, mouth watering at the sight of it all.

"Why the sudden renovations?" Rose asked around a piece of juicy meat.

Hermione replied as she placed a plate in Ron's hands and tried to wrestle away the paper he had been reading, "Well, since it's been decided that we're spending the next two weeks, until you get back to school, here, we thought a little redecorating was in order. That, and your father got himself a nasty bruise when he sat down too hard on one of those horribly old armchairs and almost threw his back out," she added with a twinkle in her eye as Ron turned a violent shade of red.

"I wasn't going to throw my back out! Now you're just exaggerating!"

"You may as well have," she replied with a shrug as she walked away, humming a little tune.

Rose smiled at her plate and twisted around the peas and mashed potato. Suddenly realising why the atmosphere was so homely, she asked, "Where are uncle Harry and the Malfoys?"

Both adults immediately tensed and exchanged quick glances before Hermione began to babble something about how they were going to get a Christmas tree in through the narrow hallway. Albus nudged her in the side and said in a low voice so only she could hear, "I heard them talking about taking Scorpius to see a Mind-healer. That's why we're spending Christmas here, so it's easier on him. Or something like that," he finished with a shrug.

Rose chewed her peas slowly, thinking about what Albus had just said. If Scorpius was going to be seeing a Mind-healer, then she would definitely not ask him about it. That was the last thing he would need after the previous night's episode. Deciding that she would quell her curiosity for the sake of being his much needed pillar of support, she finished her lunch with more determination than she had started it with.

* * *

It was well past lunchtime when the adults emerged from Scorpius's room and sat down in the sitting room. Draco immediately Transfigured the extra chairs into two plush arm chairs by the fire and led Narcissa to one and then went to get them both plates of food. Astoria disappeared into Scorpius's room with two plates of food and Rose got the feeling that she couldn't interrupt them just then.

After that, the men left to see the Mind-healer and the women decided to visit home in order to get a few things that were apparently necessary for the next two weeks there. While Albus went to see Scorpius about something _private_ that Rose wasn't invited to join, she curled up on the sofa with one of her favorite books since she was little and became immersed in it.

Some time later, the door to Scorpius's room opened and she had to physically restrain herself from looking up as he entered the sitting room. She wanted to seem as normal as possible so he had the opportunity to either follow her lead or bring up the topic of the previous night, or the Mind-healer, himself.

He took his time strolling up to her, obviously taking in the room since he hadn't seen it at all since his arrival, and then settled down beside her, peering over her shoulder at the book in her hands.

"What've you got there?" he asked and she immediately relaxed at the normal tone of his voice. So he had chosen to take the path of normalcy – for now. She raised the side of the book with the name on it slightly so he could see the cover.

"Jane Eyre—by Charlotte Bronte," he read with a note of surprise.

"You're surprised that I read Muggle authors?" Rose challenged, finally looking up at him.

He looked amused as he shrugged and replied, "Not quite as much as I am by the fact that I haven't heard you ever talk about a book that you obviously adore." He motioned to the well-worn state of the book and then met her eyes.

She smiled and repositioned herself so she was slightly turned towards him. He mirrored her smile and reached up to tangle his fingers in her hair. He picked up the ends and brought it to his mouth to kiss it lightly, never breaking her gaze, and her breath hitched, more about the fact that he had somehow returned to the Scorpius she knew from before the whole ordeal with the cursed necklace, than the actual act itself.

His eyes flickered to her lips and she found herself automatically leaning towards him, drawn to him like moths to a flame. He placed his hand at the base of her neck and pulled her in the rest of the way, crushing his mouth to hers insistently.

And she slowly realised, as he kissed her slowly, that he had been playing the same card as her, hoping to avoid the unavoidable for as long as possible.

He tilted her head so he could better access to her mouth and she sighed into the kiss, raising her hands to press them against his chest, her favorite book long forgotten. He shifted closer and used the momentary distraction of the movement to deepen the kiss. She moved her hands slowly along the neck of his sweater and wrapped them around his shoulders, pressing as close to him as she could in their awkward position on the sofa.

He pulled one of her arms from around him so he could intertwine his fingers with hers and she smiled against his mouth at his need to hold her hand. She was slowly immersing herself deeper and deeper into the kiss; forgetting her surroundings, forgetting everything that had happened there; all the pain and fear and hurt and anxiety meant nothing when compared to being in his arms and forgetting herself in the feel of his warmth surrounding her.

There was a sharp cough from the entrance of the living room and they detangled themselves from each other more slowly than they should have, given the situation. Breathing hard, faces flushed and lips swollen, they turned to see their parents - and Harry - standing there staring at them with varying degrees of amusement on their faces.

Harry seemed the most amused, if his knowing grin meant anything. Both Astoria and Hermione were looking everywhere but at them, their cheeks pink with embarrassment. The funniest by far were the fathers' expressions. Ron's eyes were bulging out and he looked like he was going to break off the doorframe where he held it and come charging at them. Draco, on the other hand, looked like he had swallowed a huge piece of ice that left his face completely frozen in a look of explicit shock.

Scorpius cleared his throat and got to his feet, immediately followed by a highly embarrassed Rose, as she stared at the white roses in front of her and willed herself to become one among them.

Harry motioned for Scorpius and said, "We've just gotten back, as you can see, and your Mind-healer has agreed to meet with you now, if you're ready."

Rose's head snapped up at that and Scorpius tensed beside her. She immediately took hold of his hand and squeezed it. He looked down at her, his jaw set and his mouth downturned as his eyes flickered with uncertainty. So their farce at normalcy ended there.

"Go," she said softly, squeezing his hand again and he breathed through his mouth, looking like he wanted to hide behind the sofa and stay there. She understood why. He didn't want to have to relive his darkest fears to some stranger who claimed he could right him as though he was a broken toy.

"Go, Scorpius," she urged again and he gripped her hand so tightly, it hurt. He finally swallowed and nodded and the emotions flickering in his eyes settled on ones of determination and nervousness.

"I'll be back before supper," he said somewhat weakly and although the claim was hardly legitimate, considering the last meal of the day was hardly a few hours away, she smiled encouragingly at him nonetheless and replied with an,

"I'll be right here."

He nodded again and squeezing her hand one last time, turned away and walked out without looking at anyone. She stared after him as everyone glanced between them, and flopped down on the couch with a sigh. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

If there was one set of people he hated more than journalists and reporters – who thought it was their birthright to invade people's privacy and let the whole world know about it – it was Mind-healers. There was no proof whatsoever that showed that Mind-healers respected patient-healer confidentiality and didn't go off and gossip about their latest cases among each other. And he'd heard a rumour that half the juiciest pieces of news about the deepest, darkest secrets of people's lives came from sources among Mind-healers and any Healers in general.

And the fact that they had some twisted sense of empathy and the ways of life that they wanted to impart and instill into their patients.

That was exactly the kind of impression his - so called - Mind-healer was giving him, at least, as he spoke to his father and Harry off to the side, leaving him to sit on a plain, grey, and very uncomfortable, sofa for over half an hour. The man was balding and had thick, circular glasses much like Harry's that sat atop his crooked nose, and he seemed rather jovial, although he hadn't so much as acknowledged Scorpius's presence ever since he had entered, let alone speak to him or even smile at him.

He sat there bouncing his knee with mounting impatience. He had half a mind to blast something or make something explode just to get the man's attention. Maybe even then he would just ignore him completely. Draco looked towards him again with his typical stoic expression and nodded in understanding – as he had been doing in intervals ever since they had begun their little secret discussion about him, off to the side.

He already knew this whole thing was about him, so was there honestly an actual necessity to convene a secret meeting – which wasn't all that secret, in all honesty, especially since he was the topic of discussion – right in front of him? He swore under his breath and then mildly wondered if he should do that loudly. Maybe it would at least get his father's attention, if no one else's.

As though hearing his mental grumbling, the three men stopped talking and walked towards him. The Mind-healer pulled a chair to the sofa and sat right in front of Scorpius as Harry and Draco stood a little away. Scorpius straightened and sat rigidly as he eyed the healer's every movement. At the moment, the man had chosen to smile what was probably supposed to be a kind, reassuring smile that looked like the smile of an evil mastermind, to the likes of Scorpius.

He finally opened his mouth and said in an awfully pleasant voice, "Good evening, son. As you would already know, I am your Mind-healer, Osbaldo Hollowell, and how are you doing on this fine Christmas night, young man?"

It took Scorpius a moment to control his laughter at the man's name, and then a moment longer to nod mutely because he didn't trust himself to speak. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco shift. His father probably thought he was scared speechless or something. Better that than the actual reason.

"Good good," Healer Hollowell was saying as he nodded jovially. He motioned to the sofa and said, "I suppose you would like to get this over with as soon as possible, then? Now, if you would please lie down and make yourself comfortable…"

Scorpius supposed that he probably should, considering he hated every second he was forced to remain there, which was the only reason he did as he was told and lay on his back with his hands clasped on his chest. Hollowell picked something off a table and began fiddling with it and Scorpius glanced to see what it was out of the corner of his eye, stiffening at the sight of the pristine needle that twinkled dangerously at him.

"I see you've spotted my little friend here," Hollowell said, in what Scorpius declared to himself as the most condescending tone he had ever been spoken to with, as he motioned to the syringe with his free hand like he was advertising it.

"Just one small prick from my friend here and we'll be good to go."

Scorpius immediately shrank back into the couch and eyed the syringe with distaste. "What's that liquid in there?"

"My, aren't we curious," Hollowell said in the same imperious sort of voice, like he was talking to a child, and Scorpius quelled the intense need to knock his glasses off and see him struggle to find them.

When Scorpius didn't look like he thought that statement was answer enough, Hollowell gave him a measured gaze over his glasses before probably deciding he may as well explain it to him. He shook the needle and the clear liquid in the cylinder swirled around. Scorpius could have sworn he saw a tinge of something darker in it.

"This, dear boy, is something my fellow Healers just so happened to come up with recently. It's still in the experimental stage, but not to worry, the Ministry has given us full clearance to use it on our patients after we assured them that there would be no long lasting or life deforming side effects."

He wasn't sure whether that little speech was supposed to convince him to take the shot, or to make him want to bolt out of the room after hexing the man to next May. If it was the latter, then he was doing a splendid job, because Scorpius wasn't sure what worried him more, the fact that the drug was experimental, that the Ministry had approved of its usage, or that it didn't have any _long lasting or life deforming side effects_, as Hollowell had so kindly put it.

He looked towards where his father stood, only to see that Draco didn't look any more reassured about the procedure than he felt. Scorpius was sure Harry had a major role to play in convincing Draco to even _dream_ of allowing something so dangerous to be used on his son.

"What does it do?" he asked, turning to glare at Hollowell.

"Well, you probably wouldn't understand even I explained to you—"

"I am first in my year and have been since day one, and I assure you that my sixteen-year-old brain is highly capable of at least discerning the context from your explanation even if a twelve-year-old couldn't."

He was sure Draco was swelling with pride even without him looking at his father, which was why he fixed his glare on the man in front of him. Hollowell regarded him for a long minute and then with a shrug of his shoulder, said,

"Very well, I suppose you have every right to know what is going to happen to you—" Scorpius scoffed at that, "—therefore, I shall tell you. This is a serum that helps alter the state of the mind to one where the brain thinks it is asleep when in actuality it is still wide awake." He paused, as though to prove to Scorpius that he couldn't possibly even begin to fathom something so complicated. The blond simply raised his eyebrows, unimpressed, making him continue. "It gives the brain the illusion of being in a period of REM sleep, when it is actually fully functioning as it would when it is awake."

Scorpius frowned and Hollowell immediately perked up at that. "It isn't possible to trick the brain into simply deluding itself that it's currently in REM sleep while it functions as though it was awake. That is humanly impossible," Scorpius retorted.

"No," Hollowell said with a snap in his voice, his eagerness to assume Scorpius's frown was one of ignorance, was replaced by an expression of irritation at the fact that he was so easily able to grasp a concept that was nowhere close to something someone of his age should be able to comprehend.

"It is implausible, not impossible, and I only say that because I hold such a serum in my hands and promise you that it does exactly as I said it would."

"So it would let me relive my nightmares like I was experiencing it in real time and then narrate them to you as I see them?"

"Precisely," Hollowell admitted rather grudgingly, reaching for Scorpius's arm – which the latter immediately withdrew.

"What proof do I have that this serum won't end up making me insane instead of aiding me in getting over my trauma?"

Hollowell looked towards Harry and Draco as though accusing them of neglecting to tell him that Scorpius was such an impertinent brat.

It wasn't like _he_ wanted to be here, either.

"Your father has seen proof of our research, which is why he has agreed to let us use this on you. Now, if you would let me administer the serum, everything will be fine."

Scorpius tried to pull away, but Hollowell had such a tight grip on him, it was impossible - unless he wanted to dislocate his shoulder.

"If I end up losing my mind," Scorpius hissed, "You'll be the first person whose head I rip off," he promised.

And then he felt the pinch of the needle pierce his skin and the unpleasant coolness of the liquid pass through his blood vessels and to his brain. He didn't know how long it took, but suddenly it felt like he was asleep. His breathing evened out, his heart rate stabilised and although he could see and sense everything going on around him, it felt like it was part of a dream.

"Now," Hollowell's voice said from somewhere far away, "tell me what you see."

* * *

**A/n: I hope the shift in POV wasn't too confusing. I actually liked the Scorpius bit better because I got to explain some cool stuff :3**

**Anyway, what did you guys think? :D**


	32. The Simplicities of Love

**Chapter 32**

**The Simplicities of Love**

* * *

The second she heard the crack of Apparition outside, she was down the hallway and out the door—even before her mum could look up from the book she was reading. She stepped onto the landing and pulled her cloak tighter, ignoring Hermione's calls; it was only the people in front of her who held the attention of her eyes and second she heard the crack of Apparition outside, she was down the hallway and out the door before her mum could even look up from the book she was reading. She heard Hermione call after her as she stepped onto the landing and pulled the coat tightly around her, but her eyes and ears were only for the people in front of her.

Her heart began to sink when she saw the expressions, not only on Scorpius and Draco's faces, but her uncle's as well. They were pale as death, white as the snow surrounding them, like they had just visited the depths of hell and returned. Scorpius immediately made a beeline towards the porch and grabbing her hands, pressed them to his face.

He looked up at her and said shakily, "I should've hexed the bastard before leaving." He then grinned weakly and she laughed breathlessly, leaning down to kiss him briefly.

"How do you feel?" she asked him as both Draco and Harry climbed the stairs and were handed steaming mugs of tea by Astoria. The rest came to stand just inside the doorway and observe the goings on. Their families' obnoxiously obtrusive behaviour would have irritated her to no end—but Scorpius's very presence dimmed out theirs almost completely.

"I feel like…like I could really use some hot-chocolate by the fire and some good company."

"Granted," Rose said cheekily and he pinched her nose as she pulled him up.

Astoria was immediately by his side and Rose felt mildly guilty that Scorpius had chosen her over his mother so many times in the past few days.

"Oh darling, it must have been hard. You are so brave," Astoria said in the same kind of voice Hermione used when Rose was upset or shaken up about something.

"Mother, I'm perfectly fine," Scorpius said gently, reaching down to hug her briefly. "I actually feel much better now that I've gotten it all out of my system. I have a feeling I shall sleep like a baby tonight."

"Oh," Astoria said, misty-eyed, as Draco pried her off of their son and took her inside, the others—all except Narcissa—followed behind. She looked at Scorpius with her head held high and with the same regal demeanour as always – but only until Scorpius spoke.

"Grandmother," he said mildly and Narcissa immediately crumbled; her shoulders slumping as though her robes weighed too much and her perfectly arranged expression falling apart to reveal one that was much gentler and grandmother-like. Rose realised with a jolt that since Narcissa was so different than her own grandma, she hadn't quite associated the fact that Narcissa was Scorpius's grandmother, until just then.

"Oh, my child," Narcissa said in a wavering voice, "I have done you great wrong."

"You have done no such thing, grandmother," Scorpius admonished gently, holding her and smiling down at her as he had to Astoria. "You have suffered much worse a fate than I did and I am truly sorry that you had to go through something so cruel."

Narcissa's eyes shone with unshed tears and she smiled briefly up at her grandson—before suddenly seeming to realise who and where she was and rearranging herself like one would the folds of a dress. "Now let us go in." She said it in such a way that anyone would think it was _her_ who had suffered at Lucius' hands, enough to require the attention of a Mind-healer, and not the other way around.

Scorpius inclined his head, an indulgent smile on his face, as Narcissa entered the cabin. Rose made to follow, but he caught her before she could and pinning her against the wall, kissed her fiercely. He pulled back with a grin and said, "I don't want to have to send both our fathers to Mind-healers on account of post-traumatic-stress."

He winked at her and she giggled, making him smile and nuzzle her cheek. He sighed and murmured, "Of all the things I have missed, it's definitely the sound of you laughing that stands above the rest."

He smiled warmly at her and she bit her lip, her cheeks flushing from the compliment.

"Now don't start tempting me, or we're never going to go inside," he chided and she pouted up at him.

"I am doing no such thing!"

And he held her hand and led her in, his laughter echoing across the narrow hallway.

* * *

If there was anyone who understood the weight of the words 'post-traumatic-stress', it would be him. The War had left both him and his family weak, vulnerable, stripped of all dignity and hated by the entire Wizarding World. If it hadn't been for Harry Potter testifying in favour of him at his trial, then he most definitely would have been rotting away in some decrepit cell in Azkaban, wearing nothing but ghastly prison clothes and cumbersome chains whose main purpose seemed to be to make one break an ankle before one could learn how to deal with them.

He was sure that the ones who needed to know of his gratitude, did know, even if he would never admit it out loud for as long as he lived. It was common misconception – most of which had been caused by his father, not ignoring his ancestors in the least – that Malfoys were self absorbed, contemptuous and intolerant towards anyone who didn't come under their category of 'acceptable' in society. This was true, for the most part, if his upbringing was any indication.

_But let it never be said that Malfoys are ungrateful bastards, _he thought as he sat on the sofa beside his wife and mother.

The Malfoy's pride, no matter what anybody said or did, could never crumble in a way that would have them submitting to the jeers and taunts of Wizarding society. They would never succumb to the fate that they had undoubtedly brought upon themselves, and his own mother was living proof of that.

And although he was grateful, it had not been his intention to let his own son become smitten with the daughter of the family who had been renown as blood-traitors since the very beginning. However, it was not his intention to force his son into a relationship filled with nothing but mutual distrust. His son should have a choice, rather than have to spend his days in simply accepting his situation out of necessity than actual need.

That, and the fact that Rose Weasley really and truly seemed to love his son.

And if the way Scorpius behaved around her was any indication, he would be the one doing great wrong unto both his son and the girl he loved if he simply rejected their relationship purely on the basis that Rose Weasley was a Weasley and a traitor to the Pureblood name.

If he had learnt anything from his life before and after the War, though, it was that he had been truly mistaken to blindly follow in his father's footsteps – although then, he hadn't a choice. Now, he could accept whom-so-ever he chose to accept and acknowledge whom-so-ever he chose to acknowledge, irrespective of their birth or lineage or blood purity or what not. Unless if Rose Weasley had turned out to be a Squib, then maybe it would have taken greater persuasion and convincing for him to accept her at all.

But, from what he had seen and heard of her, she was nothing but a bright young woman with a wonderfully prospective life ahead of her. And other than the fact that the Weasleys' fiery hair amongst the Malfoys' pristine platinum was reason enough to cause all those in his ancestry to roll around in their graves, it was of little to no inconsequence—especially considering how much of a fondness his son seemed to have for that vibrant colour that he himself found blinding.

That itself may have been the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of why the Weasleys and Malfoys could never stand each other even if they could stand the test against time.

But of course, that had nothing to do with his displeasure at seeing his son being so explicitly intimate with the Weasley child without showing even the slightest indication of holding back. And it seemed like the longer they spent in this miniscule cabin, the lesser Scorpius's sense of dignity seemed to get. It was unbecoming of a Malfoy to flaunt his private endeavors in a fashion that evoked public attention.

It seemed that only in that regard, he and Weasley shared a mutual understanding.

Another reason for his growing displeasure.

"Draco dear, your displeasure is showing," Astoria murmured beside him, smiling pleasantly and nodding to whatever it was Hermione Weasley-Granger was saying.

He immediately rearranged his features to settle into his usual look of stoic contempt. He suddenly recalled a particular statement that Albus Potter – another exception to everything the Malfoys or Weasleys or Potters had ever believed in, although everything was currently too muddled to say so for sure– had made about Scorpius being the stoic father in their imaginary family. He immediately relaxed his expression infinitesimally. It wasn't quite impetus enough to redo his very way of life, though.

"So Malfoy," the extremely annoying voice that constantly aroused controversy, said from nearby. "Are you staying here until New Years?"

He had the urge to simply say yes in order to see the obvious displeasure on Weasley's face, but unlike when they were still in Hogwarts, such trifling things only served to cause unnecessary confrontation than anything.

And therefore he replied monotonously, "No, I will not. In case you have forgotten, there are some unfinished matters that need to be taken care of."

Weasley seemed far too pleased at the prospect of having whatever wonderful Christmas he had had planned—at least as wonderful as it could be in this ridiculously tiny house. _How_ both his wife and mother seemed perfectly content spending both Christmas as well as New Years here was absolutely beyond his comprehension.

"What about Scorpius's visits to the Mind-healer? Are they done already?"

And that would be the Weasley child – whom he had only just decided to acknowledge by her given name. He wasn't still quite used to it as yet—it didn't come to him as naturally as it did for Astoria.

"There'll be one or two more visits, at the least, but nothing to concern yourself over," Scorpius answered in his stead, instantly regaining her attention. Sometimes he thought that his son felt the need to answer questions not directed at him for the simple reason that he wanted the Weas—Rose Weasley's attention focused completely on him. He would have chided the boy for that, but he had been far worse in his youth and the memory itself allowed him give Scorpius the short leash.

"So you're fine for Christmas, then?"

"Perfectly."

Another thing that was immediately obvious when Scorpius was around Rose Weasley, was the way he was able to smile so openly and convey his happiness through his smile in a way that a Malfoy simply couldn't. He had been quite afraid in regards to the way in which Scorpius had been brought up; the way the boy had learnt of the hatred towards the Malfoy family from such a tender age; the way he would isolate himself and refuse to laugh or smile in a way a normal child of his age would.

Therefore, it had moved something within him, to see that Scorpius trusted the girl enough to open himself so completely. Astoria barely seemed surprised by it, but then again, he himself was barely as perceptive as his wife. Malfoy woman – he had come to learn – were highly perceptive of the goings on in the world, as was a necessary trait required of one who married into the Malfoy family.

And from the previous day's events, it was fair to conclude that Rose Weasley had somehow perfected that skill to an extent that may by far surpass that of any of her predecessors. It was more than slightly unnerving to him that he thought of Rose Weasley as though she would marry into the family for sure, but if his son were to have his way, there was no doubt that would happen sooner or later – hopefully later. He wasn't quite as mentally prepared to welcome a Weasley into the family, yet.

"Father." He looked up to see Scorpius's shining eyes and wondered if he ever remembered his own being so like quicksilver. "Will you be staying the night?"

"I'm afraid not. Your mother and I will be returning to the Manor with your grandmother."

"Will you be returning for Christmas?"

There was almost a childishly pleading undertone to the boy's voice, and he felt a sense of affection and pride that his son would want to spend Christmas with him – enough that he would plead for it.

"Yes, I suppose we would be, considering you will be here."

Scorpius seemed delighted by that and he excused himself, dragging Rose Weasley along by their forever-connected hands as she conversed animatedly with her cousin.

"Shall we leave?" Astoria asked softly and he nodded once, standing up and easing his face into a polite smile as he went about thanking the Weasleys and Potter and then made his way outside. He found Scorpius in his room and the boy immediately stood up and followed them to the door. If he was displeased of their departure, he didn't show it. Maybe his Malfoy upbringing wasn't thoroughly wasted after all—especially since he seemed to have turned out to be a fine young man even if his decisions got him into no end of trouble.

"Goodnight father, mother, grandmother," Scorpius said regally, inclining his head to each, individually.

"Goodnight my love," Astoria said softly, her voice catching at the end as she hugged Scorpius. It also unnerved him to see how easily his wife was drawn to tears when it came to their son. She was much too soft with him.

"Goodnight my child," his mother said in an even softer voice, her eyes looking suspiciously misty. It seemed Scorpius was a Malfoy with the power to move even the sternest and most stoic of women to tears. Quite a fearful talent, that.

"Son," he said, clapping Scorpius on the shoulder. The boy nodded politely and watched as they walked to the Apparition point.

Just as they were about to Apparate, he saw Scorpius standing there alone with a sort of forlorn expression on his face. It reminded him of the time when the boy had been very young and hated to be left alone at the Manor when he and Astoria had to go to their meetings and couldn't take him along. But even as he began the procedure for the actual Apparition, he saw Rose Weasley appear at the door and clasp Scorpius's hand, immediately making the latter smile at her.

And the last thought as he Apparated away, was that if Scorpius had the power to move anyone to tears, then Rose, who seemed to have the power to move him, was probably the most fearful of them all.

* * *

"Will you miss them?"

Scorpius looked down at Rose with amusement.

"What kind of a retarded question is that?"

She pouted up at him, her cheeks tingeing pink as she muttered, "The second they're not here you revert back to talking like a Gryffindor."

"If that was meant to be an insult, you nailed it."

"Hey!"

He laughed as he led her back inside and sneaking a look towards the sitting room, pushed her gently against the wall and kissed her softly. When he drew back, she scrunched her nose and said, "The way we keep having to sneak around, I almost feel like we're doing something bad."

"If you're saying this for just kissing, I wonder what you'd be saying if we were doing more…" he waggled his eyebrows and grinned at how furiously red she turned.

"You just say this stuff to annoy me don't you," she said crossly and he leant forwards and kissed her nose, smiling at how cold it was. Every bit of her was adorable to an extent that scared even him.

"And because I love the way you turn red and start a competition to see which is redder, your face or your hair."

She smacked him on the chest and he chuckled.

"I like you better when you're not talking," she said slowly and pulled his head down for a kiss.

"If we don't—stop—your dad—will see—and I'll—have to—attend—more post—traumatic—Mind-healing—sessions—during Christ—mas," he said in between kisses, and she laughed quietly.

"I guess we'll just have to go back to your room, then."

"And throw Al out? He'll be heartbroken."

"He stole you for a _private_ session, so now it's my turn."

"Our so called _private_ session didn't have anything close to what mine and yours will have."

"Is that a complaint I hear?"

"I'm only being considerate of his feelings."

"Well, too bad, because you should've done that _before_ you kissed me in the library a year ago."

"Fair point well made, Miss Weasley.*"

"I have several points I'd like to make," she said haughtily and he laughed, letting her pull him into the room.

Albus looked up when they entered and immediately made a face. He stood up and Rose frowned at him.

"What?"

"I hate it when you both have that look on your face before you start snogging each other's brains out."

"At least it's better than the look _after_—" Scorpius began but Albus clapped his hands to his ears and strode to the door.

"No thank you, I'd like my food inside me, thanks," Albus said loudly to Scorpius, banging the door shut behind him.

Rose was immediately against him and he pulled back and stared at her wide-eyed. "Whoa, slow down there, Rose, what's the hurry?"

"The reason I like your dad better than mine is because he won't break down the door if he knows you're in here with me."

"You've been making some really fair points, recently, Miss Weasley."

"Oh, I'm only just getting started."

"I love it when you talk dirty to me."

"Shut up and kiss me or _dad_ won't have to be the one to break down that door."

"Yes, Madame."

* * *

**A/n: I must've had _so _much fun writing that last bit all those months ago because I had so much fun reading it before posting this. Haha I just love Scorose banter.**

**I would like to say a special thank you to whitetiger91 for helping me correct all the really lengthy, clunky sentences in this chappie. THANKS TIGGER I LOVE YOU!**

***This is a dialogue I've used even in Lithium and no one was able to guess the reference I was making so I decided to explain—it's from _Fifty Shades of Grey_, where Christian Grey has a habit of saying that to Anastasia Steele whenever she puts forth a valid argument. "Fair point well made, Miss Steele."**

**Anyway, what do you guys think? I definitely liked this chapter much better than the previous one**—**especially since my marshmallow Draco had a whole portion to himself :3 I've been meaning to write Draco's POV on Scorose for a while now, so yay! Leave me some nice reviews on your thoughts mai loveliess!**


	33. To Family

**Chapter 33**

**To Family**

* * *

It was Christmas Eve and she was helping her mother dress the turkey when there were cracks of Apparition outside.

"That would be the Malfoys," Hermione said busily as she tasted the gravy and made a thoughtful face. "Rosie, try this and tell me if it needs a dash of salt."

She did as she was told and smacked her lips. "Mm, I think just a tad would do."

"I thought as much," Hermione muttered, adding a pinch of salt to the boiling liquid. "Rosie, would you Disillusion the turkey, love? I don't want them seeing it before it's ready."

Rose rolled her eyes at her mother's unfathomable need to transcend the border between logic and paranoia in her search for perfection.

"Mum, I'm underage, I can't perform magic outside school. And I think the turkey looks magnificent."

Hermione only made a flustered noise and Disillusioned it herself just as Astoria entered with a big basket in her arms.

"Oh my, good evening! That smells wonderful!"

"Hello," Hermione said brightly, pushing her wild hair from her face. "What's that you've got there?"

"Oh, just this and that," Astoria said, almost putting the basket down on the turkey.

Rose immediately reached over and snatched it from her with a pleasant "Let me get that!"

Hermione made a pinched sort of sound and Astoria smiled confusedly at the two of them. Rose undid the wrapping on the basket and exclaimed in surprise at the sweet scent of pudding and muffins wafting out.

"I hope it isn't too little. I was not quite sure what to get," Astoria said, sounding uncharacteristically embarrassed.

"Oh nonsense, they look wonderful," Hermione said with a wave of her spatula.

"Mum, the gravy," Rose reminded as she took the basket to the table and began laying out the assorted muffins, biscuits and the jar of cranberry sauce.

"Is it dinner time already?" Ron asked excitedly as he strode in, a superior smile on his face. "It smells delicious in here." Her father had somehow managed to get a Christmas tree in without breaking anything, and Hermione had been mighty pleased about it – the cause for his good mood.

"It really does," came Scorpius's voice and Rose had to restrain herself from not instantly reacting to it and carefully placed the last of the biscuits neatly on the plate. Scorpius immediately reached for one and she smacked his hand.

"Manners!" she scolded and he made a face at her. She turned around to see the smirk tugging at the edge of Draco's mouth and she blushed, ducking her head and going back to the kitchen area.

"It really is a pity that Harry and the rest couldn't come," Hermione was saying, to which came Ron's instantaneous reply, "As if mum would let both us and him stay away for Christmas. I think she prefers Harry over me any day," he added with a grumble.

"As though that hadn't been established twenty-five years ago." Hermione laughed and Rose grinned as her father glowered at his wife.

"So it is just our families, then," Astoria said delightedly, clapping her hands together.

"As soon as Ron goes and gets Hugo," Hermione replied, fussing around the turkey and without looking up, added, "Ronald, if you're reaching for the food right about now, you've got something else coming your way."

Rose hid her smile as Ron froze with a biscuit halfway towards his mouth and then obediently put it back down with a meek expression on his face. Draco seemed like he was besides himself in trying to suppress his laughter with unnecessary coughing.

"Are you going, yet?" Hermione called, not looking up from the stove and Ron stood up with a grumble and pulled on his coat.

"I'm going, I'm going."

"Don't let Molly bully you into carrying a whole bunch of food back or we'll be eating leftovers for the next three days."

Both Ron and Draco paled at that and the former shuffled away with a withdrawn expression on his face. _How_ he was going to convince her grandmother out of that was beyond her.

"I'm sorry you have to wait," Hermione told Astoria, finally taking off her apron and sighing contentedly.

"Oh, it isn't a bother at all," Astoria replied with a wave of her hand.

"I'll be right back." Hermione smiled, ambling away to tidy herself up.

Rose exchanged a smile with Astoria and then excused herself to get ready as well. She felt Scorpius's gaze follow her and just as she rounded the corner she gave him a pointed look and watched his shoulders sag in disappointment. It would be fun to hear him have to explain to his father why he had started following after her and then hadn't.

Just as she stepped out of the bath, she heard muffled voices in the hallway and poked her head out to see what was going on. The Malfoys had their coats on and seemed to be on their way out, having a brief conversation with Hermione before they left. Scorpius spotted her and came up to her, a sour look on his face.

"What's going on?" she asked, not liking the way his eyes had gone grey and cloudy.

"That git of a Mind Healer suddenly upped and decided that he wanted to have the last session right away because he has to go on some trip and won't be back until after New Years."

"Right _now?_" Rose asked, anger and disappointment welling up in her stomach. Scorpius shuffled in place looking highly uncomfortable and when he spoke, he was staring at the wall right beside her head.

"Father promised we'd be back for supper. Grandmother won't have it any other way." He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I'm really sorry, Rose. I gave you my word that I'd be free all of Christmas."

He looked thoroughly miserable and Rose couldn't help but feel bad for him. So she smiled and reaching up, meddled with his coat and smoothed it down unnecessarily. "It's not like you can help it. Besides, Christmas is tomorrow, so you haven't really broken your promise."

His face melted into a slow smile and his eyes shone as he leant forward and kissed her forehead. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Oh, I do, but I don't mind hearing you say it anyway." She grinned up at him cheekily and he pinched her cheek.

"Scorpius, it's time," Draco called from the door and Scorpius nodded at Rose.

"See you in a bit, then. And I'll have your gift ready by then, so look forward to it," he said smugly, smirking superiorly down at her.

She only raised her eyebrows and asked, "You don't have my gift ready yet?"

He immediately looked away and was about to say something when Draco called for him again.

"Saved by the bell," Rose said flatly and he scrunched his nose up apologetically as he turned around and jogged towards his parents.

Once the confirming crack of Disapparition sounded, Hermione walked into the sitting room with a sigh.

"At least they won't be here when your brother arrives. I don't think he'd be very pleased when he sees your dad at the Burrow to pick him up."

Rose sighed. "He doesn't really have to come if he doesn't want to, you know. He's obviously going to be miserable if we force him to come here."

She'd preferred if Hugo didn't come. It was bad enough that she had to go through so much drama in order to convince Ron to accept Scorpius. And even that was because she knew _why_ he didn't like the latter. Rose was absolutely clueless as to why her brother hated Scorpius with such a passion.

"I think it's time we resolved this senseless conflict once and for all," Hermione said diplomatically.

'_If Hugo is willing to see sense',_ she thought as she helped Hermione place the food on the newly Transfigured dining table.

After a time she asked quietly, "We're only still in the safe house because we don't know what Lucius might try, aren't we?"

Hermione looked at her askance and then sighed deeply. "It's more complicated than that, Rosie."

"And you think I don't deserve to know?"

Hermione's eyes flashed at the accusing tone in Rose's voice, but she didn't care. She had started feeling that she was being left out of a whole lot of things. She didn't know anything about the Mind-healer – other than that he was a git, and that was only because Scorpius wouldn't shut up about wanting to hex his spectacles off his hooked nose – or how Scorpius felt lately, because for some reason he felt he could only confide in Albus about that and came to her only when he wanted to forget about everything else. She knew that was barely true, but she couldn't help but feel so.

And she had found it thoroughly suspicious that not only would Ron agree to spend a Christmas – or rather, two whole weeks – with the man he despised, although Draco barely stayed in the cabin, he himself had agreed to allow his son to remain there and not return to the protection of the Manor and its wards. There was definitely something inconspicuous going on and she wanted to know what it was.

"What'll you do after knowing about it?" Hermione asked, cutting into her thoughts.

"What are _you_ doing after knowing about it?" she snapped and Hermione turned to give her a pointed warning glare.

"Rose, you're crossing a line here—"

"Mum _please_ alright? I just want to know! He nearly died, mum! And he had to go to a Mind-healer because he'd been hallucinating about me dying over and over again!"

Her voice broke at the end and she looked away, furious that her emotions gave out on her when she needed them under control the most. Hermione's expression softened and she reached over to lay her hand over her daughter's.

"Rosie, none of this is your fault and you know that."

"Hearing you say that doesn't make it any better!"

Hermione smiled sadly and said as gently as she could, "Alright. I promise I shall tell you – but not right now."

Rose exclaimed in indignation but Hermione only held up a hand. "Not before Christmas. I don't need you brooding over it when you're supposed to be having fun. Everyone else is already losing sleep and if they see you upset as well… I promise to tell you once Christmas is over."

"OK," Rose replied morosely and stared at the star shaped carrot she'd just cut. A sudden thought crossed her mind and she frowned. "Is that—is that why no one said anything to me?"

"Is what why no one said anything to you?"

"So they can just look at me being ignorantly happy and convince themselves that everything is right with the world?"

When Hermione didn't answer, she looked up to see the small, sad smile on her mother's face.

"Maybe…" she whispered, her eyes gaining a far-away look.

But before they could continue their conversation, Hugo and Ron's arrival was marked with a sharp crack, followed by lots of stumbling and banging and swearing. Curious, Rose poked her head into the hallway to see both her father and brother stumbling towards her from under a mountain of wrapped and packed boxes and containers.

Hermione groaned from the side and Rose moved so Ron could dump the boxes with a huff, looking thoroughly harassed, followed closely by an ill-looking Hugo.

"What's all this, Ron? I _told_ you—"

"Yeah, and have you met my mum, Hermione? As if she cares what I have to say! I couldn't take three steps inside without her shoving one thing or the other in my face and demanding that I bring it back to you lot!"

Hermione pressed her lips together and patted her hands dry on her apron – which she had somehow ended up wearing again.

"Alright fine," she said in a disgruntled sort of voice and began sorting through all the items dumped on the floor. "What all has she sent?" she shrieked in a muffled voice, her head almost stuck in between the two piles.

Ron flopped down on the couch and ticked off the items on his fingers. "There's at least five different flavours of tart, three different kinds of jelly, I'm quite sure there's a bunch of candy canes and gingerbread men somewhere, there's candied apples and gumdrops, there's a stuffed something or the other in there too – I'm sure it's not turkey, because I specifically told her you'd made turkey – then there's probably half a dozen assorted sweets and chocolates and probably some salad with dressing, if she managed to stuff that in somewhere before we turned tail and ran."

Hermione gave her husband an awed sort of look and asked in an amazed voice, "How in Merlin's name did you manage a side-along Apparition with all this – stuff?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much," Ron said with a snort. "I'm hoping we managed to leave behind somethings when we left."

"You could've just told grandma that it would be dangerous to do a side-along Apparition with so much stuff," Rose said matter-of-factly, turning over what looked like an edible bauble.

"Yeah, I almost got Splinched," Hugo grumbled from around a muffin. Hermione made a horrified sound while Ron shot his son a glare and turned back to placate his wife.

"No such thing would've happened and you know it, 'Mione. I'm probably the best side-along Apparator there is!"

Rose rolled her eyes as Hermione turned back to the mountain of goodies from the Burrow. "Oh, what in the world are we going to do with all this stuff?" she moaned.

"Well, most of it will last for weeks, so we can take some back to school like we always do. I think that dreaded salad is more of a concern," Hugo said, stuffing his mouth with biscuits.

"Hugo, if you're going to stuff yourself right before supper then what necessity was there for me to work like a mad woman to make all that food?" Hermione snapped at her son, gesturing wildly at the table laden with food.

"Where are the Malfoys, anyway? The food's getting cold," Ron interrupted, eyeing the magnificent turkey with longing eyes. Hermione shrugged, making a face at a squashed container of something.

"They had to go make that final visit. They'll be here any moment now."

* * *

But it didn't turn out that way, because three hours and a whole lot of muffins and tarts and whatnot later, the Malfoys still hadn't returned and both Ron and Hugo were beyond irritated. She had just gone to open the door after hearing their arrival when—

"_Will you stop snapping the cards in my face!" _Ron shouted for the fourth time as Hugo threw down his hand of their dozenth game of Exploding Snap and ruffled his hair in frustration.

"That's because you take so long to play your turn! It's cards, not chess!"

"Doesn't mean there isn't a strategy to work out, right?"

"How does it matter! You've never won once against me!"

"I have too! What about that time before Second year, eh? Beat you to a pulp, din'I?"

"I let you win because you wouldn't leave me be until you did!"

"_Shut up, both of you!"_

Rose smiled tightly at Scorpius's raised eyebrows and look of amusement as she let them in. She strode towards the sitting room where her family was yelling at the top of their lungs and screamed over the din.

"_The Malfoys are here, in case you lot want to shut up now!"_

Everyone instantly froze and even had the sense to look embarrassed. Ron cleared his throat and got up as Hugo began to pack away the cards.

"Took you quite a while, eh?" Ron said nonchalantly, but the touch of irritation was clear in his voice.

"I'm afraid it did. I apologise for having to make you wait," Draco said politely, even bowing slightly to Ron.

"No matter, no matter. It's not like we could've started without you anyway," Ron said in a strained voice and an equally strained smile, and Draco returned it with a tight one of his own.

"Yes," the latter drawled, "it wouldn't have been so under different circumstances, I'm sure."

Rose immediately tensed at the blatant provocation and looked up to see that just as she had feared, her father had gone red in the face. "Of _course_ none of this would have happened if it wasn't for your boy here—"

"_Ronald!/Dad!" _came the instantaneous reactions before Draco could even open his mouth to make a retort. All four Malfoys flinched at the sharpness of Hermione and Rose's voices and turned to stare at them.

"Dad, why don't you and Hugo go look for firewood? The fire looks like it'll die out any moment now," Rose said in a moderately pleasant voice and both her father and brother frowned and started arguing immediately.

"Why do I—"

"The fire's still—"

"_Just go," _Hermione snapped and the two males immediately obeyed and disappeared, muttering loudly under their breath.

"It seems we really did make you wait," Astoria said with an apologetic smile as she walked up to the table.

"Absolutely not," Hermione said and then winced when Astoria started at the snap in her voice. "Why don't you go freshen up while I reheat the food?" she said more softly and Astoria nodded with a smile. The Malfoys exited the sitting room as regally as a pride of lions walking through their territory.

Both Rose and Hermione let out combines sighs and chuckled sheepishly.

"Maybe we should've let your brother spend Christmas at the Burrow after all."

"No, I think it was a good idea to bring him here," Rose said and rearranged the shawls on the back of the armchairs. Hermione made an approving sound and taking off her apron, cast a Scouring charm on her clothes and a Holding charm on her hair.

"Rosie, is that what you're wearing for supper?" she asked, giving her daughter a once over.

"What?" Rose said, looking down at herself and realising with a start that she'd changed back into normal clothes after her bath. "I'll go change now," she said, flustered, and ran off to her room.

She exited five minutes later in a full-sleeved, velvet, midnight blue frock that came half way down her thighs. She wore snowflake patterned black stockings underneath, her hair twisted down the front with small white flowers placed in it at intervals and a white hairband to match the crochet designs on her dress. By the time she entered the sitting room, everyone had already settled around the table to eat.

They all looked up as she entered and she held her breath, nervous at being judged by the Malfoys as well as her own family. Her eyes first locked with Astoria's, as the latter sat directly opposite the empty seat meant for Rose, and gave her a charming smile of approval. She let out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding, and smiling more naturally, settled down in her seat.

"You look lovely, Rosie," her father whispered from beside her and she grinned up at him.

"Thank you, daddy," she said sweetly, catching her mother's and brother's looks of approval.

As she began serving herself, her eyes first met Draco's intense ones and she couldn't quite gauge the emotion in them, and then Narcissa's, who's lips were upturned in a smile of mild amusement. She finally turned to look at Scorpius, who sat in between his parents, and saw the blazing look in his eyes as he gingerly placed a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed it ever so slowly, his eyes never leaving her. Feeling her face grow hot, she dropped her gaze and focused on her food.

* * *

Supper was a rather pleasant – if not awkwardly quiet – event, with slight small talk between the women and children. It was so different compared to the boisterous and raucous Christmas dinners she was used to, so it was a pleasant change to enjoy a civil dinner once in a while.

Once everyone was done, the group moved to the sofas and armchairs. Hermione Vanished the food on the table and magicked the dessert onto the smaller one in the centre of the room. There were the usual exclamations of delight as everyone helped themselves to the assortment of pudding, jelly, tart, biscuits and gingerbread men and the attempt to light conversation slowly started when Astoria directed a question to Hugo.

"So Hugo – may I call you that?" after a nod of affirmation, she continued, "I hear you're on the Quidditch team. Have you played against my son?"

Hugo's eyes darted to land on Scorpius and he frowned lightly, staring at the latter for so long, that it seemed like he had ignored the question completely. Ron looked highly uncomfortable and looked like he was about to say something to break the awkward silence, but Hugo beat him to it, finally deciding to answer with a grumble.

"I have, and although I don't want to admit it…he's a much better Keeper than any of my cousins," he finally finished, his frown much deeper now, as though it had taken a lot out of him to say what he had said – and it probably had.

Astoria – and even Narcissa and Draco, for that matter – beamed at both boys and Scorpius's cheeks tinged pink as he ducked his head at the compliment. Ron laughed in a weird, unnatural way and both Hermione and Rose immediately snapped their eyes to him, knowing he would say something controversial.

"I'm sure at least Louis is a better Keeper than our young Malfoy here," he said in a condescending tone. Almost everybody froze except for Narcissa – who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself with the awkward and uncomfortable happenings – and Hugo, who simply turned tired eyes to his father.

"Really? I'd actually say Scorpius is a better Keeper than even you, dad," he said matter-of-factly and Scorpius choked on the tea he was drinking, causing Draco to shoot him a look and Astoria to rub his back gently.

"I'm—I assure you I'm not as good as you say I am," Scorpius said somewhat shakily, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. Eyebrows raised all around and finally Ron was the one to demand,

"Are you calling my son a liar, then?"

Rose had to control her urge to take her head in her hands and after casting a quick glance at Scorpius's mortified expression, turned to her father and said ever so sweetly, "Scorpius was being polite and giving you the benefit of the doubt, daddy."

Ron's eyes snapped to her and she raised her eyebrows infinitesimally in the way she had seen Hermione do hundreds of times, in order to indicate that it was time for Ron to shut up before either the others or – most likely – one of them or Ron, embarrassed him. He cleared his throat and sat back in his seat, asking Hugo to pass the jelly.

She tried to avoid looking at Draco, she could feel his intense gaze on her. It made her very uncomfortable to have him stare at her like he was sizing her up to see whether or not she made a suitable partner for his son.

"I think," Narcissa finally said, the hint of amusement clear in her voice and her shining eyes, "it is time to make a toast."

She flicked her wand and cast a Tempus charm, the misty hands of the vapour clock nearly at twelve. Everyone hastened to pick whatever cup or tumbler they could find and when Narcissa raised her glass and said in an almost revered voice, "To another Christmas with family," a pleasant hush fell over the room and everyone murmured their toast.

"To family."

* * *

**A/n: I think I enjoyed writing this chapter quite a bit, considering I had so much fun reading it. Whoever wondered what a Christmas dinner between the Malfoys and the Weasleys would be like, here's my take on it! I'm glad nobody got severely maimed in the process of it all...**

**Thanks for reading and I would love to know what you thought!**

**Lots of love~**


	34. White Rose

**A/n: I was under the impression that I'd posted this chapter and apparently I hadn't... I am so extremely sorry for not updating in ages, real life is exhausting, plus challenges and comps are taking up too much of my time. Anyway, this story should end soon, and hopefully I'll be able to wrap it up in a nice, big bow. Sorry again!**

* * *

**Chapter 34**

**White Rose**

* * *

For some reason, no matter how many years passed, he always seemed unnecessarily nervous at the time of exchanging presents. Rose had never once disliked what he had given her – it was the exact opposite, in fact. So his relentless anxiety was much more a source of irritation to him than anything else.

He eyed her sideways again, watching as she laughed at something her father had said as she placed the ridiculously large, golden star on the Christmas tree.

Everything about the tree screamed Gryffindor; from its intensely colourful decorations, to how it had been over decked to the limit, to the flashing gold and red lights, to the multi-coloured presents beneath it.

His father had somehow had the sense to bring in a smaller tree that they kept beside the table in between the couches, and this one was so painfully Slytherin, it made his eyes water. The tree was trimmed to perfection, had just the right amount of decorations in the traditional Christmas colours, was strewn with silver and green lights that glowed gently, and had a small assortment of presents underneath it. Even among the presents, it was obvious which ones belonged to his family and which belonged to hers.

The longer he watched the way her family behaved, exuding a warm and homey atmosphere, the more he could feel the rigid coldness of his own. The one summer he had spent at the Burrow had been enough to show him exactly what kind of a family the Weasleys were, and he wanted to belong among them so much that it physically pained him.

But neither his pale hair and aristocratic demeanor, nor his way of speaking and his lack of expressiveness, nor the mild colours he chose to wear, would ever be able to blend in with the vibrant hair, the dazzling smiles, the myriad of colours in their clothing, and the openly accepting and hot-blooded nature of the Weasleys. Everything only served to show how different their two worlds were and how, no matter how he tried, he couldn't fit into her world.

He immediately eased his face into a smile when she looked his way and she made towards him, seating herself beside Astoria and exchanging smiles with her. His chest tightened at how she was able to simply come and sit down with his family and have a conversation with his mother like she had done so her whole life. Somehow, her vibrant self seemed to bring more colour into the dull hues of his world, her dazzling brightness enveloping them in warmth.

If the intense way in which his father kept looking at her or the curious smile on his grandmother's face meant anything, it was quite obvious that Rose had almost completely assimilated into his way of life. Even with her fiery temper and ready tongue, she was like a raw diamond, rough around the edges, but it was that very factor that made her all the more beautiful.

"Are you going to twitch nervously all night, or are you going to go give her the present you went to such painstaking lengths to acquire?" his grandmother whispered beside his ear, and he had to concentrate to not flinch. He glanced towards where her family was eyeing them, and just as he began to stand up, Hermione grabbed her husband and son and dragged them over to where the rest were seated. She gave him a knowing smile, and, with the twinkle of her eyes, asked Rose to get her a glass of water from the kitchen counter.

He inhaled sharply as he felt the forceful nudge in his side where his grandmother had prodded him. She probably was rushing him for her own amusement than the fact that he was being uncharacteristically cowardly for a Malfoy, but it still worked.

"Hi," he said with a little more force than intended, as he came to stand beside Rose.

"Hello," she replied, raising her eyes to his. Her hand was inches from the glass of water that her mother had asked for, but she left it there, eyeing him sideways, as though waiting for him to say or do something. "Well?" she prompted, when he continued to stare dumbly at her. He sighed through his teeth and shook his head.

"I feel so idiotic right now," he said, more to himself than her.

"You _look_ pretty idiotic as well," she teased, biting her lip to keep herself from laughing.

He concentrated on not fidgeting. "I have no idea why I'm so bloody nervous," he finally admitted, feeling colour rise to his face from the embarrassing confession.

"Really? I'm in the least bit surprised that you are," she said with an air of nonchalance as she inspected the ends of her hair.

"Excuse me?" he demanded, affronted by her matter-of-fact tone.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Do you remember what a complete goof up you were last year when you could barely even look me in the eye, let alone give me a Christmas present?"

"I gave it to you in the end!" he retorted, feeling his ears grow hot.

She tilted her head back and laughed, the bubbling sound making the knot in his chest loosen ever so slightly. "Yes. Yes, you did."

He frowned at her. "You keep poking fun at me and I won't give you your present at all," he warned, hiding his fist behind his back.

Her eyes widened and she stretched her hand out as though reaching for her present. "I'll stop! Please give it to me."

Finally able to ease his expression into his usual one of contempt, he raised his eyebrows at her and smirked, taking a step back. She glowered at him and stuck her lower lip out, making him feel the immediate urge to bit on it.

"I won't give you yours if you don't give me mine," she huffed, crossing her arms and looking like a little girl. He chuckled and finally brought his fist forward.

"Alright, fine, I give into your cuteness. Close your eyes and give me your hand."

She made a simpering sound at being called cute, but obeyed nonetheless, stretching her hand with the charm bracelet out.

"No peeking," he warned, and she made an impatient sound. He concentrated for a moment, and when he heard the reassuring click that the charm was in place, he relaxed and let her wrist go. "There." He watched her face to see her reaction, his stomach tossing and turning from repressed nervousness, excitement and anticipation.

She pulled her wrist up to her face and gingerly twisted it around to find the newest addition to it. Upon finding it, her eyes went round and her mouth fell open in a gasp. She stared at it for so long, his nervousness was starting to return with full force.

"Oh, Scorpius," she breathed, twisting the tiny charm back and forth.

"You like it?" he asked, desperate to know the answer.

"Like it?" she repeated, finally tearing her eyes away from her gift to fix them on him. Her face brightened with a brilliant smile and she blinked rapidly, as though trying to keep tears at bay. "I _love _it! It's beautiful, thank you."

He grinned widely and laughed airily as all the anxiety escaped out of him in a gush of air from his lungs. "I'm glad, then," he said, holding his hands out, palms upturned.

She stared at them and then up at him, the confusion on her face so obvious that it was adorable.

"My present," he prompted, and a look of realisation dawned on her face as she pressed her lips together.

"I… don't have it," she said quickly, looking away and chewing on her lip. He raised an eyebrow at the obvious lie.

"Of course you do. I saw you pick it up from the pile a little while ago. You've hidden it under the cushion of the seat behind you." He peered around her at the cushion in question.

She immediately stepped sideways to block his view and placed her hands behind her back, as though she was guarding it. "Don't be ridiculous," she said in a bossy voice, lifting her chin up to regard him down her nose – which never ever worked, considering he was well over a head and a half taller than her.

"You're the one being ridiculous! I know it's there, so what's there to hide?"

He reached around her to take it, but she squealed and backed up, tripping over the seat and grabbing onto him for support. He steadied her with a bemused look on his face, and she wrestled out of his grasp and grabbed the neatly wrapped gift from under the pillow before he could get to it.

"I decided I'm going to change it," she declared, backing away towards where everyone was seated and watching their exchange like the two of them were the night's entertainment. He had long since gotten over the embarrassment – especially since the way his father's face pinched together and the way he went rigid, like someone had cast a full body bind on him while he was eating something detestably sour, was quite hilarious.

"That's not allowed," he argued, slowly making his way towards her and matching his pace to hers.

"Says who?" she demanded, now backing towards the wall. If this had been chess, she would be checkmated in two moves.

"Me! Come on, give it to me!"

"No!"

"It's mine!"

"No it's not! I'm not giving it to you so it's mine!"

"That's cheating!"

"I don't care!" she yelled, glancing behind her as though just realising that she'd gotten herself cornered.

"Do you honestly think you can beat me if I wrestled it away from you?"

She frowned, as though debating whether or not the threat was real. Behind them, her family was laughing and cheering and yelling for her to just hand the gift over to him.

"See? They think I deserve it, too," he said, gesturing to the others.

"So what?" She pouted, finally having realised that she was out of options.

"Don't make me snatch it from you," he warned, taking a step closer. She backed up against the wall until she was standing on her tiptoes. She puckered her mouth in a determined expression, and he lunged, twisting her around and grabbing the present easily even as she screamed and tried to get it back.

"Give it back! It's mine!"

"Not anymore!" he sang, ripping the wrapping, his curiosity to see what was making her want to so vehemently refuse to give it to him, taking the better of him.

He stared at the hardbound cover in confusion, wracking his brain to remember where he'd seen it, as Rose said, "No! It's not good enough!"

Suddenly realising, he tilted the book and read the gold lettering on the spine. Jane Eyre—by Charlotte Bronte.

He stared at her wide-eyed, rooted to the spot in shock. Their audience had gone quiet, waiting to see how he would react.

"Give it back," she sniffed, holding the other side of the book and looking close to tears.

"No! Why? It's mine now!" he retorted, still unable to wrap his mind completely around the entirety of it all.

"No, it's mine!" she cried, trying to pry it from his grasp.

"Rose, this is your favorite book," he said softly, and she paused, looking up at him with angry eyes filled with unshed tears.

"It's an old, tattered book that I happened to find in a pile of books my mum was going to give away when I was eight, and I've read it a thousand times, and there are stains on the pages from when Hugo accidentally spilled a pot of ink on it and dad, a mug of tea, and the spine is bent from all the times I left it facedown on the table, and oh, please just give it back," she said in a rush, bouncing on the spot.

"No!" he repeated pulling the book away from her and keeping it at arm's reach. "I want it!"

"You—what?" she looked at him as though he was mad, like she was trying to gauge whether or not it was a joke gone too far. But he was sure his expression was nothing but earnest, because he really and truly wanted the book. To think that she would want to trust him with one of her most prized possessions was something so unbelievable, that his own gift seemed almost worthless in comparison.

He shook his head and reaching forwards, kissed her softly. There were murmurs from their families, but he could have cared less. When she pulled away, he looked into her confused and anxious eyes and tried to covey to her how much what she had done meant to him.

"Thank you," he breathed, his chest suddenly feeling constricted from the lump in his throat. "Thank you," he said again, because he didn't know what else to say.

She didn't look like she understood why he liked his gift so much, but he reached down and took her hand, jingling the bracelet on her wrist.

"I mean it," he said and smiled at her, hoping she somehow understood that he wasn't just pulling a fast one over her.

She finally smiled and nodded. "OK."

"OK," he said, suddenly awkward now that all the adrenaline rush had worn out.

They cleared their throats awkwardly and stood there, looking anywhere but at each other, until Hermione clapped her hands and said, "Alright, then! Let's get all the others and open them, shall we?"

There was a combined murmur of assent as someone Summoned the gifts from under both trees and piled them atop the table. Ron made the armchairs waddle over so Rose and Scorpius had places to sit, and the mood instantly changed to one of excitement as the gift opening began. He concentrated on peeling the Spello Tape off the side of his present in a daze, his heart racing in his chest as his mind kept returning to the worn, brown book on his lap.

He couldn't wait to read it.

* * *

She sat with her heart hammering against her ribs, feeling unbelievably hot all of a sudden. As soon as the gift opening was over, Scorpius had excused himself to go cool his head, and she sat staring at the glass table now strewn with torn wrapping paper.

"May I see what he got you?" Astoria asked from across from her, and she jerked her head up to stare wide-eyed at the older woman. Astoria simply raised her hand and said, "He was desperate to find exactly a particular kind of ornament and wouldn't have it any other way."

Rose nodded, knowing she couldn't actually say no to the request. She raised her hand with the bracelet and chewed on the inside of her cheek as everyone – including Draco and Narcissa – craned their necks to get a better look at it.

"Haven't you had that for a long time, now?" Hugo asked from next to her, squinting as he tried to see the tiny charms hanging from the silver bracelet.

"He gave it to me in our second year," she said in a soft voice, her face burning from the confession she was just about to make. "I told him I couldn't accept something so nice because—we'd just become friends and well—it was just awkward, I guess, but he promised that he would only give me a charm as a present every Christmas so I could take it."

She caressed the small silver rose he had given her along with the bracelet and couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

"The first one was a single rose—which was why he was insistent on me taking the bracelet. He said he had no use for it."

"I remember him asking about it all those years ago," Astoria said tenderly, "and now I know why."

"In our third year he gave me a snowflake because that was when we were allowed to go to Hogsmeade," she continued and Ron shifted on the couch– probably from the memory the Hogsmeade trip brought forth.

"In fourth year he gave me this book," she said, fondling the tiny silver book charm and scrunching her nose. Although she had demanded why he would give her that since it reminded her of the horrible incident with Hanners, he only said that the book reminded him of the library, which was their favorite place to spend their free time, and also where they kissed for the first time.

"And last year—although he didn't give it to me during Christmas—he gave me this—" she broke off abruptly, covering the bracelet with her free hand and turning a furious shade of red. She knew they'd seen the tiny heart, though, so there wasn't any actual point to her trying to hide it.

"And this year?" Hermione asked, her eyes gleaming with the same unabashed curiosity that she always got when she genuinely wanted to know more and nothing else.

Rose cleared her throat and raised her wrist again, carefully covering the other charms with her hand and holding the single crystal rose in her palm. Everyone eyed it for so long, her arm began to hurt. Hermione was finally the first to speak.

"Is that—"

"A white rose."

Rose looked up to see Scorpius leaning against the door leading into the sitting room, his hands in his pockets and a smile playing on his face. He caught her eyes and his smile widened, automatically causing her to do the same.

"Where did you get these charms?" Hermione asked Scorpius without looking up as she inspected each of the tiny silver pieces.

Scorpius rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I made them."

Everyone's heads snapped up to stare at him and he shifted uncomfortably, scratching his ear.

"You _made_ them?"

Scorpius turned to Hugo and nodded.

"How?" her brother demanded, snatching her hand from Hermione to examine the charms himself. "These are so little and detailed and look nothing like an amateur's work."

"I'm pretty skilled with my hands," he answered with a hint of something in his voice. Rose looked up to catch his gaze, and he grinned cheekily and winked at her. She dropped her gaze, her entire body flushing.

"And this crystal one?" Hugo continued, not having noticed the exchange that had occurred over his head.

"Ah, that one was a little harder. I couldn't find a crystal and carve it on such short notice, so I got Mother to find me a crystal rose ornament and then shrink it for me. I only carved out the initials on it," he said, motioning with his finger.

"What initials?" Hugo demanded, but Rose snatched her hand away and squinted at the small charm. She could barely make out the tiny facets in the stone, let alone anything carved into it.

Scorpius walked around to where she sat and pulled her up. "Come here," he said, moving her towards the window where the first rays of dawn were breaking across the horizon. He held her hand up and stilled the swiveling charm so it was parallel to the window. Not knowing what she was looking for, she peered at it, but Scorpius caught her by the shoulder and positioned her so she was standing with her hand stretched out in front of her.

"Here, do you see?" he asked as the light caught the clear crystal and shone through it, illuminating the flat surfaces and casting shadows on the beveled ones. She focused, intent on spotting whatever he could see, and she frowned, unable to find what it was. There were mixed exclamations from behind her and she raised her head, curiosity getting the better of her, and her breath caught as she finally understood.

On the wall directly opposite the window was a large reflection of the tiny rose, every highlight and shadow as clear as though it was painted across it. And on the biggest of the miniscule petals that was projected on the wall were even tinier scratches forming the letters S and R. Because of how small the charm itself was, it was impossible to see it if you tried to look at it directly, but with the reflection, it became clear.

She turned to stare at Scorpius, tears prickling her eyes as he looked at her with the same uncertainty and anxiety. She didn't understand why he would feel so nervous about something that he had put so much thought and effort into—and even if it wasn't as grand or meaningful, anything that he put thought into and got just for her would make her immeasurably happy.

She shook her head and laughed breathlessly, looking at him with the same feeling of overwhelming emotion that she had felt when she had seen him after he had been rescued.

"I love you," she whispered, her tears spilling down her cheeks, and his expression changed to one so tender and affectionate, that it overwhelmed her all over again. He drew her to him and kissed her softly, and she could feel his love and gratitude through the simple kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered again, and he pulled her against his chest, resting his chin atop her head.

"It's not just for you, you know," he murmured after a moment, and she pulled back to look up at him curiously. He caught her bracelet and fingered the charms and said, "They're as much a reminder for me of all the moments we've spent together as they are for you. Just like your favorite book is as important to me as it is to you."

He brought her wrist up to kiss her bracelet, and she smiled at him through her tears.

"You are so soppy," she laughed, and he made a face.

"And you love every bit of it, don't you?" he retorted, and she laughed again, leaning back in his arms and letting the warmth of the first rays of the sun wash over her. This moment, with Scorpius, with their families, with everything that had happened and would happen; it was perfection. And when she answered him, it was an answer to all his unvoiced doubts and questions in the simple two words.

"I do."

* * *

**A/n: I didn't really change anything from what I'd initially written, just a few grammar stuff, so yeah. Opinions and the like would be very welcome! I plan on re-editing this story once I complete it, but that's not gonna be any time soon, but I'll take any concrit into consideration, so it would be really helpful.**

**Thank you so much for being so patient, and a special thanks to a guest reviewer who gave me the impetus to get down to finishing this.**

**P.S. sorry if this was super mushy, I'm an extreme romantic, if y'all haven't figured that out by now xD Also, I'm finishing up the next chapter as this is being updated, so hopefully I can update this weekend and finish this up soon.**

**Lots of love~**

**Arty xx**


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